--- description: The House Ethics Committee just announced an investigation into George Santos. Here are all the probes into his conduct. title: Here Are All the Investigations Into George Santos image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt21f3ef1765daaa61/698a3ad8011682b568982cda/GettyImages-1461105039.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Congress](/tag/congress/) ## Congress Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here Are All the Investigations Into George Santos ## Video: George Santos to Step Down From Congressional Committees Amid Escalating Ethics Inquiries [Watch (HLS stream): George Santos to Step Down From Congressional Committees Amid Escalating Ethics Inquiries](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fGgNfSCm.m3u8) (0:50)  _Published 2023-01-31. Republican Rep. George Santos of New York told GOP colleagues Tuesday he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees, a move that comes amid a host of ethics issues and a day after he met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy._ Mar 3, 2023 6:48 PM CUT  by [Mini Racker](/author/mini-racker/)  ## Mini Racker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 3, 2023 6:48 PM CUT Republican New York Rep. [George Santos](https://time.com/6245110/george-santos-lies-resume/ "undefined"), who last year helped his party gain control of the House by flipping a battleground congressional district, has quickly become one of Congress’ [most controversial members](https://time.com/6246177/george-santos-first-term-challenges/ "undefined"). Since the publication of a bombshell [New York _Times_ report](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/nyregion/george-santos-ny-republicans.html "undefined") in December, he was caught lying about [key parts](https://time.com/6245110/george-santos-lies-resume/ "undefined") of his biography and campaign, ranging from whether he ever worked at the Wall Street firms he said he did to whether he is Jewish. In the ensuing months, the sources of his campaign funds have come under scrutiny. Additionally, a man who briefly worked as an aide to Santos has accused him of sexual harassment. Santos denied the allegations to [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/05/politics/george-santos-prospective-staffer-complaint/index.html "undefined"), calling them “comical.” Multiple inquiries have been launched into Santos’ history, from federal probes to state reviews to a criminal investigation in Brazil. The latest in the growing list was announced on Thursday, when the House Ethics Committee said it had opened an investigation into Santos. Here is what to know about all the inquiries into Santos. ## **Federal officials** The House Ethics Committee will broadly examine the charges against Santos, following a complaint by two Democratic congressmen from New York. The members of the committee—split evenly between Democrats and Republicans—voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to investigate Santos. The committee could fine Santos or issue a report urging the House to take action against him, including by calling for his removal. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has previously said Santos will be [removed from Congress](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mccarthy-says-santos-will-removed-congress-ethics-committee-finds-brok-rcna67366 "undefined") if the committee discovers he broke the law. Outside of Congress, several federal bodies appear to be examining Santos as well. In late December, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York reportedly began a federal probe into Santos’ finances. The office has not confirmed whether it is investigating him. However, a man who accused Santos of improperly keeping funds that were raised to save the man’s dying dog told [_Politico_](https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/01/feds-probing-santos-service-dog-charity-scheme-00080706 "undefined") that two FBI agents contacted him on behalf of the office in early February. In January, a D.C.-based nonprofit filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Santos filed false fundraising and spending information and used campaign funds for personal expenses, including rent. The FEC does not comment on ongoing investigations, but could hit Santos with a fine if it finds a violation. The Justice Department asked the FEC to hold off on any enforcement action against Santos as it conducts a criminal probe, according to the [Washington _Post_](https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/01/27/santos-doj-investigation-fec/ "undefined"). The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also interviewed two people this year about Santos’ involvement with a firm that shut down in 2021 after the SEC accused it of running a “classic Ponzi scheme,” the _Post_ reported. ## **New York state officials** New York State Attorney General [Letitia James](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/6177696/letitia-james/ "undefined") said in late December that her office was looking into Santos, but did not specify whether it had launched a formal investigation. Around the same time, the District Attorney for Nassau County, where Santos’ district is centered, said it was reviewing the congressman’s conduct. Republican District Attorney Anne Donnelly said that the “numerous fabrications and inconsistencies” associated with him were “stunning” and that “if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, a Democrat, also said her office was “reviewing whether Queens County has jurisdiction over any potential criminal offenses.” There isn’t much public information about the scope and intensity of state attorneys’ reviews. ## **Brazilian authorities** The investigations aren’t confined to American shores. Brazilian officials in the Rio de Janeiro state prosecutor’s office announced in January that they are again pursuing fraud charges against Santos. Officials previously suspended the case in the early 2010s because they could not find Santos. The charges center on the allegation that Santos stole a checkbook from his mom’s purse that belonged to a man she worked for and used it to buy clothing under a fake name in 2008\. He previously admitted to the incident, Brazilian prosecutors said. Late last year, however, Santos denied that he is a criminal in Brazil or anywhere else. Santos faces a maximum of five years imprisonment, plus a fine, if he’s found guilty. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6260251/george-santos-investigations/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6260251/george-santos-investigations/"},"headline":"Here Are All the Investigations Into George Santos","datePublished":"2023-03-03T18:48:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T15:31:56.704Z","description":"From federal officials to Brazilian authorities to the House Ethics Committee.","url":"https://time.com/6260251/george-santos-investigations/","keywords":["Congress","Explainer","uspoliticspolicy"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mini Racker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/mini-racker/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6260251/george-santos-investigations/","name":"Here Are All the Investigations Into George Santos"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"George Santos to Step Down From Congressional Committees Amid Escalating Ethics Inquiries","description":"Republican Rep. 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