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The House Ethics Committee’s report unveils U.S. Rep. George Santos’s misuse of campaign funds, including spending on OnlyFans, as Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia continues to call for his expulsion.
The saga of embattled U.S. Rep. George Santos, the gay, lying New York Republican, has taken another dramatic turn with his announcement that he will not seek reelection in 2024. This decision follows a damning report by the House Ethics Committee, which detailed his alleged misuse of campaign funds for personal extravagances, including alleged spending on pornography.
The Ethics Committee’s report paints a troubling portrait of Santos as a fabricator and fraudster, using his campaign as a personal slush fund. Among the most striking findings is the accusation that Santos spent campaign money on OnlyFans, a pornography subscription service.
This expenditure and others on luxury items and personal indulgences starkly illustrate the misuse of funds from donors intended for campaign purposes.
Out California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, in an MSNBC interview on Thursday afternoon, highlighted the egregious nature of these expenditures.
Related: George Santos Won’t Seek Reelection After Scathing Ethics Report Released
“[Santos] created his own personal fund to buy everything from going to Sephora to, quite frankly, pornography, to going on these vast shopping sprees, paying this checking account and all of this using funds,” Garcia said, exasperated.
Garcia’s remarks underscore Santos's betrayal of the trust of those who contributed to his campaign under the guise of supporting his political endeavors.
The report sheds light on Santos’s lavish spending habits, including about $10,000 at high-end retailers such as Ferragamo and Hermes, around $2,280 in Atlantic City for casino visits, and approximately $2,900 labeled as Botox treatments. These details, particularly the payments to OnlyFans, raise significant concerns about the appropriate use of campaign funds.
As described in the report, Santos’s post-election spending spree includes $6,000 at Ferragamo, $800 withdrawn at a casino, and $1,000 in spending money from an ATM near his apartment in Queens. His congressional campaign illegally funded this spending, wiring him $20,000 just after Thanksgiving, without disclosure to donors or the Federal Election Commission.
In response to the Ethics Committee’s findings, Santos took to social media to denounce the report as biased and unjust. He announced his decision not to seek a second term in office, citing the relentless pressure faced by his family.
On X, formerly Twitter, Santos wrote, “I won’t be seeking a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.”
Later, Santos took his frustration out on reporters trying to contact him. He said he was done communicating.
“The numerous reporters calling, texting and leaving voicemails with their amazing ideas that would 'benefit' me. Enough! No more, you’ve all taken your pound of flesh and I won’t allow it anymore. I’m going to dedicate my free time to my family whom I have neglected during this process,” he wrote adding, “I wish you all well, but I am done! The communication door is closed, shut, and sealed.”
The numerous reporters calling, texting and leaving voicemails with their amazing ideas that would \u201cbenefit\u201d me.\n\nEnough! No more, you\u2019ve all taken your pound of flesh and I won\u2019t allow it anymore.\n\nI\u2019m going to dedicate my free time to my family whom I have neglected during this\u2026— (@)
Currently facing 23 federal felony charges, including wire fraud and identity theft, Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The Ethics Committee has referred its findings to the Department of Justice, suggesting further legal implications may be forthcoming.
A staunch advocate for Santos’s expulsion from Congress, Garcia emphasized the need for action.
“What we’re seeing today is first, Republicans are coming out that had voted not to expel him; they’re now saying publicly they’re going to vote to expel him. That is really critical.”
He expressed confidence in securing the necessary bipartisan support for expulsion, indicating a united Democratic Party and a growing number of Republicans now inclined to vote for Santos’s removal.
Lawmakers will return to Capitol Hill November 28 after a Thanksgiving break, at which time a vote on Santos’s future is expected.
