By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The gay New York lawmaker, embroiled in controversy and criminal charges, stood firm against resignation during a contentious online interview, where Congressman Robert Garcia confronted him with demands for apology and resignation.
In a Friday X (formerly Twitter) Spaces conversation, embattled New York Rep. George Santos admitted his tenure in Congress is uncertain and likely shortlived. Despite calls for his resignation, he firmly said, “I’m not leaving,” and declared that he won’t seek reelection.
Santos refuted the notion of resigning, as it would imply admitting to the contents of a 56-page report by the House Ethics Committee. The report, which followed a nine-month investigation, outlined a “complex web of unlawful activity” involving his campaign, personal, and business finances.
Related: George Santos Won’t Seek Reelection After Scathing Ethics Report Released
Among other allegations, the report released before the Thanksgiving holiday found that Santos spent thousands of dollars at Hermes and Louis Vuitton, at medical providers on Botox injections, cash for gambling, and OnlyFans subscriptions.
He is also facing 23 criminal charges, including wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.
Santos expressed his reason for not running for reelection not as an admission of guilt but due to not wanting to work with “a bunch of hypocrites.”
During the stream, he accused Congress of being rife with criminals and unethical members. He said, “people with all sorts of sheisty backgrounds” and that some are “more worried about getting drunk every night with the next lobbyist that they’re going to screw and pretend like none of us know what’s going on.”
California Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia, an active opponent of Santos, joined the conversation and called Santos out.
Garcia previously sought Santos’ expulsion through a resolution and a House vote.
Related: George Santos Spent Big Bucks on Designer Luxuries & OnlyFans Porn, Says He’s Done Talking
“George, we’re going to expel you,” Garcia said. “The right thing for you to do is resign.” He urged Santos to apologize, emphasizing that “a real apology would go a long way.” Santos, in response, claimed he had already apologized to the Republican conference, but Garcia insisted that voters also deserved an apology.
Santos replied, “I don’t think I’ll live long enough to apologize enough.”
Despite his defiance, Santos acknowledged the increasing likelihood of expulsion, admitting, “I’ve done the math over and over, and it doesn’t look really good.”
He added that being expelled would be a “badge of honor” for him, making him the sixth member of Congress to face such an outcome.
Santos survived a most recent expulsion vote earlier in November. Joined by some Democrats, many of his Republican colleagues voted against expelling Santos due to hesitations around due process procedures. After the report’s publication, Republicans, who previously opposed removing Santos, are increasingly favoring it.
Santos is scheduled to hold a press conference on the Capitol steps on November 30 to address these developments further. Lawmakers could vote on Santos’s future as early as Tuesday.
