After increased calls for his resignation because of his fake CV, the stamina of the US Republican George Santos seems to be dwindling: According to reports, he is said to want to give up two committee posts for the time being. A complete withdrawal from Congress could be dangerous for his party.
US Congressman George Santos is reportedly stepping down from his two committee posts over the resume scandal. The Republican informed his party colleagues of this at a non-public group meeting, reported US media, citing participants. "He just felt like there was so much drama about the situation," Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told CNN after the meeting. According to the Washington Post, Santos justified his resignation by saying the posts were a "distraction".
The 34-year-old was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in the congressional elections in November. The newspaper "New York Times" then took a close look at Santos' CV. For example, he claimed to have been an "experienced investor on Wall Street." It finally turned out that Santos was never employed by the companies mentioned. The newspaper was also unable to verify his university degree. Santos has also been accused of misleading the public about his family history and alleged Jewish background. In an interview, the Republican admitted that he had "whitewashed" his resume.
Santos is now also in the sights of the judiciary. The New York prosecutor's office began investigating in December. According to media reports, the Ministry of Justice is also keeping an eye on Santos because of his campaign financing. Recently, a number of Republicans had demanded that Santos give up his seat in parliament - but he had previously ruled that out. The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, had emphasized that he wanted to regulate the Santos case internally.
Santos' resignation would be tricky for Republicans in the House of Representatives. In the congressional elections, they regained a majority in the congress chamber - but only by a hair's breadth. Should Santos resign, there would have to be a new election in his constituency. It couldn't be ruled out that the Democrats would win the seat and the Republican majority would melt away.
