While two Democrats renewed their calls for GOP leaders to provide more information, more House Republicans refrained from calling for the resignation of troubled New York Rep. George Santos.
After lying and misrepresenting his educational, professional, and family histories, including claiming falsely that he was Jewish and the descendant of Holocaust survivors, Santos is coming under increasing pressure to resign. Additionally, he is the subject of federal and local inquiries into his campaign funds. Although Santos has acknowledged "embellishing" his credentials, he has insisted he is "not a criminal."
But on Sunday, Republicans in the GOP freshman's Long Island district intensified their calls for his resignation.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Santos has "a long way to go to earn trust" and that the House Ethics Committee could look into the matter, but he highlighted that the congressman is a member of the House GOP Conference.
In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" on Sunday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer branded Santos a "bad guy."
"He's not the first politician, unfortunately, to make it to Congress to lie," the Kentucky Republican said. "But, look, George Santos was duly elected by the people. He's going to be under strict ethics investigation, not necessarily for lying, but for his campaign finance potential violations. So I think that Santos is being examined thoroughly."
"It's his decision whether or not he should resign. It's not my decision. But, certainly, I don't approve of how he made his way to Congress," Comer said. "Now, if he broke campaign finance laws, then he will be removed from Congress."
Republican Nebraskan Rep. Don Bacon stated on Sunday that he would retire if he were Santos, but that the constituents of the New York Republican should decide whether to do so.
Rep. Chris Stewart, a Republican from Utah, declined to say whether Santos ought to vacate his Long Island seat.
Santos' resignation has been demanded by a number of House Republicans, including five of his Republican House colleagues from New York. The congressman has also been urged to resign by Nassau County GOP officials.
Meanwhile, two Democrats are urging Republicans to comply with any probe into Santos by the House Ethics Committee.
New York Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres cite new reporting "indicating that each of you had at least some knowledge of lies used by Congressman George Santos to deceive his voters long before they became public" in a letter sent to the two Republican leaders and Dan Conston, president of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC affiliated with House GOP leadership.
"We urge you to inform the American people about your knowledge of Mr. Santos's web of deceit prior to the election so that the public understands whether and to what extent you were complicit in Mr. Santos's fraud on his voters," Goldman and Torres said in the letter.
