(RoyalPatriot.com )- Embattled New York Congressman George Santos last week voluntarily stepped down from the House committees he was assigned to.
CNN reported that during a closed-door meeting last Tuesday, Santos told the Republican conference that he wanted to step down from his committee assignments until the investigations into his campaign have been resolved.
Santos was placed on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Small Business.
Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik confirmed that Santos “voluntarily removed himself from committees” during the conference meeting.
Santos later confirmed to reporters that the decision to step down from his committee posts was his and not the Republican leadership’s, according to CNN, telling reporters that he decided “on my own” because it “best represented” the interests of his voters.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the scandal-plagued congressman’s decision was appropriate “until he can clear everything up,” Politico reported.
According to Politico, some members of the Republican conference “privately agreed” that Santos stepping down from his committee assignments would make it easier for the Republican leadership to get the votes necessary to remove Democrat Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene told CNN’s Manu Raju that the controversy over removing Omar from her committee was one of the things that prompted Santos to step down.
In January, the watchdog group Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the FEC claiming that Santos did not report any client payments exceeding $5,000 and arguing that it was “wildly implausible” that Devolder generated enough cash to loan his campaign $700,000.
But last Tuesday, Santos submitted an amended FEC filing saying the loan was not from his personal funds. However, he did not disclose where the cash came from.
The House Ethics Committee is also looking into the source of Santos’ money and whether he fabricated campaign expenses.
