WASHINGTON — Disgraced and ousted former Long Island Rep. George Santos had some choice words for the House Ethics Committee hours after it deadlocked on whether to release an investigative report into his onetime Republican colleague, ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz.
The moment came Wednesday after Santos was asked his opinions on the unfolding situation surrounding Gaetz’s nomination to lead the Justice Department amid sexual misconduct allegations and a pending House ethics report that could jeopardize his Senate confirmation process.
While Santos offered a full-throated endorsement of Gaetz, he had less favorable feelings about the ethics panel, which last November issued a scathing public report about his own ethical troubles that immediately triggered calls for him to be expelled from Congress.
“Look at the pattern. There's a pattern and that pattern is broken. That pattern is salacious,” Santos told Raw Story. “They use it as a slap in the hand and a 'Shame on you. You shouldn't have done that.' Like, 'We caught you with the hand in the cookie jar' kind of situation. That's bulls---. I don't think that that's how it should be.”
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While Santos didn't say whether he believes the allegations, he added: “One can make as many allegations as they want. OK, and be wrong, yeah. That's plain and simple” – he said he thinks Gaetz would ultimately end up confirmed to the position.
“I believe he can. I believe he has the stamina to do it. It's not gonna be easy,” he said.
“Someone who was accused and investigated for three years by Trump’s and Biden's DOJ and was exonerated with no indictment,” Santos said. “Am I wrong? Two attorney generals with two separate administrations – [they] looked into Gaetz and chose not to indict him because there was no there there.”
He also took a shot at the ethics committee’s chair, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), and ranking member Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA).
“Do you think really that Michael Guest and Susan Wild in all their infinite wisdom really are going to be the people who are going to lead the voice on this? I don't think so. I'm sorry,” he said.
Santos was expelled from the House in an overwhelming vote last December.
