Kevin McCarthy: Ethics panel will consider allegations against Rep. George Santos

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday said he expected the House Ethics Committee to consider complaints filed against Rep. George Santos (R-Nassau/Queens).

McCarthy (R-Calif.) made his remarks as a busload of Santos constituents from the Third Congressional District arrived at the U.S. Capitol to demand Santos' expulsion

“There are questions. I expect them to get answered," McCarthy told CNN Tuesday afternoon.

In the interview, McCarthy appeared to backtrack on remarks he had made to reporters earlier in the day.

"Ethics is moving through, and if Ethics finds something, we'll take action," McCarthy said in the morning.

Asked if his remarks meant the panel was currently investigating Santos, McCarthy replied, “Yes."

McCarthy's initial comments were regarded as the first confirmation that a probe had been launched.

A McCarthy aide told Reuters in a statement Tuesday afternoon: "There’s no investigation, as the Ethics Committee hasn’t organized yet. But it has received complaints.”

Santos' office on Tuesday referred questions to Santos' attorney, Joseph Murray, who did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Third District protesters arrive in D.C.

McCarthy’s comments on Tuesday came as dozens of protesters from New York’s Third Congressional District arrived at the U.S. Capitol to deliver petitions to McCarthy and other GOP leaders calling for Santos’ expulsion from Congress.

Santos has been the subject of county, state and federal probes into his campaign finances since a New York Times investigation in December revealed inconsistencies in his resume.

Santos has admitted lying about his education and fabricating major portions of his work experience.

Last Friday, a prospective staffer who volunteered briefly in Santos’ congressional office filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, accusing Santos of sexual harassment and ethics violations.

Santos on Monday said he “100%” denied the allegations brought by Derek J. Myers.

Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) and Daniel Goldman (D-Brooklyn) filed a complaint to the House Ethics Committee last month, calling on the committee to investigate Santos’ financial disclosures.

Goldman and Torres appeared at a news conference outside the Capitol building along with about 50 protesters from the Third District.

Democratic lawmakers join protesters

“The time has come to end the tragedy and the comedy that is George Santos,” Torres said. “You should no longer be deprived of the representation that you deserve.”

“This should not be partisan,” Goldman said. “In New York-3, it's not partisan because the overwhelming majority of Republicans also think that George Santos should resign. Republican members of Congress in New York have called on George Santos to resign.“

Long Island Republican leaders and GOP House members from Nassau and Suffolk counties are among those who have demanded Santos' resignation.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), whom McCarthy appointed recently to the House Ethics Committee, has declined to comment about the allegations against Santos.

Garbarino has said as a member of the ethics panel he ultimately may be called on to consider allegations about Santos.

The GOP chairman of the Ethics Committee and the ranking Democratic member have resisted calls to comment about complaints filed against Santos, citing confidentiality rules governing investigations.

Constituents pack hallway outside Santos office

Later Tuesday, dozens of Santos' constituents crowded into the hallway outside his congressional office to deliver a petition calling for his removal.

Santos’ director of operations Vish Burra accepted the petition, saying he would get it to Santos, but the congressman ignored the calls of constituents asking him to address the group.

“We just want to be represented, is that asking for so much?” shouted Roslyn Heights resident Nick Santora. “Are we represented or not?”

Jody Finkel, a Great Neck resident who was among the organizers of Tuesday’s events said: "Today, we found out that [Santos] is a chicken because he is afraid of his constituents.”

After the group had left Santos did meet with two protesters.

One of them, Sara Sapienza, of Massapequa, said she stayed behind on the chance Santos would speak with her individually.

Sapienza said she told Santos he would not be able to win reelection in 2024, but that he still should try to work with constituents.

Sapienza said Santos raised the possibility of forming an advisory panel of district residents from across the political spectrum.

"I don’t really believe that will happen, but let’s see what happens.” Sapienza told Newsday.

Manuel Oliver, a gun-safety activist whose son Joaquin was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. in 2018, also spoke with Santos.

Oliver told Newsday he criticized Santos for wearing a lapel pin of an AR-15 rifle that some GOP lawmakers have been wearing recently. Oliver said it was the same type of rifle used to kill his son.

Oliver said Santos told him he was sympathetic to the loss of his son and also was concerned about gun violence.

Asked whether he believed Santos, Oliver said: “I believe when people tell me that they are concerned about gun violence. It’s hard for me to believe that someone is not concerned.”

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.