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NY GOP reps introduce legislation to stop scandal-ridden George Santos from profiting off infamy

March 9, 2023 | | Print Article

Six GOP freshman representatives from New York introduced legislation Wednesday that takes direct aim at scandal-ridden Rep. George Santos, moving to prevent House members from profiting off of infamy from public scandals or high-profile controversies.

(Video Credit: MSNBC)

It would appear that Santos has little to no support from his fellow Republicans in his home state.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represents New York’s 4th District, is leading the pack by introducing a two-fold legislative package that seeks to keep House members “from financially profiting off any actions they engaged in that violate certain election laws and other federal statutes.”

The first proposal is called the “No Fame for Fraud Resolution.” It would ostensibly “change rules governing the House of Representatives to ensure current House Members indicted for violations of the Federal Election Act of 1971, or any other offenses that Members of Congress may lose their congressional pension for, cannot financially profit off their story.”

The second one is called the “No Fortune for Fraud Act.” It “ensures current or former House Members found guilty of violating the Federal Election Act of 1971, or other laws that would bar them from receiving their congressional pension, are not able to financially profit off their story,” according to D’Esposito’s office.

The proposals would prevent a member from receiving any compensation for biographies, media appearances, or other creative works.

“I am committed to advancing good, accountable government here in our Nation’s capital, and that includes preventing elected officials who broke the public’s trust from profiting from their misdeeds,” D’Esposito proclaimed in a statement. “Con artists, liars, and fabulists who lied their way into Congress should not be able to monetize their lies, and this legislative package would ensure they are unable to do so. I spent the greater part of my career keeping criminals off the streets of New York, and now I want to keep fraudsters out of the halls of Congress.”

“It’s very simple,” D’Esposito said at a press conference on Tuesday. “If you are defrauding the American people, if you are making a mockery out of the people’s House, or violating campaign finance law, you should not be able to turn it into a payday.”

“Should fraudsters like George Santos be indicted or convicted of crimes listed in my legislation, our legislation, they won’t be able to make money from a book deal, a TV movie, Dancing with the Stars, or the next Netflix special,” he added.

Co-sponsors of the legislation include New York Reps. Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler, Nick Langworthy, Marc Molinaro. and Brandon Williams.

“No member, of any political party, should be able to profit off their crimes, lies, indictments, or fraud. Liars and cheats should not reap any reward from their deception,” LaLota asserted in a statement. “I ran on restoring transparency and accountability to our government because I believe that our constituents should be able to trust their representatives and know that we are fighting for them every day. Helping make our country a better, safer, and more prosperous place, not trying to land a deal with Netflix.”

“George Santos is a scam artist, and we New York Republicans are here to stop him,” LaLota commented during Tuesday’s press conference.

“Any other person should have been embarrassed for having been exposed for those lies. They would’ve shown remorse, they would’ve paid in shame. But not George Santos,” he continued. “He tweeted more, he went on national TV, he even positioned himself in a center-aisle seat during the State of the Union. Why? Because George Santos is dead broke, and he’s trying to use his new infamy to enrich himself, to further what he set out to do three years ago — to use his persona as a public figure to enrich himself.”

“And we New York Republicans can smell a scam from a mile away. And George Santos’ scam absolutely stinks,” LaLota told reporters.

“No one should be permitted to profiteer off of their own lies, especially not an elected representative,” Lawler stated according to Fox News. “As a public official, I take these crimes seriously and have always strived to hold myself to the highest ethical standard. Anyone who commits fraud has betrayed the public trust and has no place serving in Congress – period.”

“Members of Congress should not be able to enrich themselves based on the title they hold, and that certainly should apply to anyone who is convicted of fraud,” Langworthy declared. “This bill will send a loud and clear message that you won’t be able to turn your shame into wealth and fame. I applaud my colleague, Congressman D’Esposito, who is a decorated public servant, for leading this charge to maintain honesty and integrity in our institution.”

“Democrat or Republican, if a politician scams the public, they should not be allowed to turn that into a profit. I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of these bills,” Molinaro remarked.

The House Committee on Ethics has formally launched an investigation to determine whether Santos “may have: engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office.”

After being caught in numerous fibs, the GOP party in Long Island’s Nassau County demanded that Santos resign. He refused. His lies included his educational record, his proclaimed Jewish ancestry, as well as his claim that he worked for two prestigious Wall Street firms before stepping into politics.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is insisting on an investigation before any action is taken against Santos, specifically booting him from Congres. The House of Representatives is looking into whether he violated campaign finance laws.

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