Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA) said he will not support Rep. George Santos (R-NY) in his bid for reelection following the latter’s 13-count indictment for alleged financial crimes.
“No, I’m not going to support him,” McCarthy told CNN on Wednesday.
McCarthy added that Santos “has a lot going on” and has “other things to focus on in his life than running for stuff.”
The House Speaker previously said that he will not call on Santos to resign until he has been convicted of the charges.
“If a person is indicted, they’re not on committees,” McCarthy said on Tuesday. “They have a right to vote, but they have to go to trial.”
“He was already removed from all his committees,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). “In America, there is a presumption of innocence, but they’re serious charges. He’s going to have to go through the legal process.”
As Breitbart News reported, authorities arrested George Santos on “Wednesday for money laundering, wire fraud, theft of public funds, and making false statements to Congress and is expected to appear in federal court for an arraignment Wednesday afternoon in New York.”
Santos, a freshman member of Congress representing a portion of Long Island, is facing 13 charges total, according to an unsealed indictment announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.
They include three counts of money laundering, seven counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House.
Since joining Congress, Santos has come under mounting scrutiny for fabricating substantial portions of his resume, which he misleadingly touted while running for office.
Santos pleaded “Not Guilty” on all charges and called them a “witch hunt.”
“It’s a witch hunt,” Santos told reporters. “It makes no sense that in four months I am indicted.”
Attorney Joseph Murray, who represents Santos, said the congressman will continue his bid for reelection and asked the judge for him to be able to travel freely.
“This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.”
“He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representative,” Peace added.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or VIMEO On Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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