In the aftermath of his expulsion from the US House on Friday, George Santos, the disgraced former New York Republican, wasted no time in retaliating against his former colleagues. Santos, who faced expulsion amid a litany of controversies and an ongoing federal indictment, used his first hours post-expulsion to announce his intention to file ethics complaints against four individuals on Monday.
Santos took to social media to make the announcement, with a particular focus on fellow Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis. Accusing her of questionable stock trading practices related to her role on the Ways and Means committee, Santos pledged to file an official complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics.
Malliotakis allegedly purchased up to $15,000 in stock from Community Bancorp after a meeting with federal regulators regarding the impending collapse of Signature Bank. Santos raised concerns about possible insider trading, likening her actions to those of Paul Pelosi. Malliotakis denies all these claims.
“We don’t respond to expelled George Santos because he is a scorned and known serial liar,” Malliotakis spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre responded to Santos’ allegations.
The disgraced former congressman did not stop there; he also targeted Republican Representative Mike Lawler for alleged campaign finance violations and Representative Nick LaLota for questionable actions during his time at the Suffolk County Board of Elections.
Like Malliotakis, neither Lawler nor LaLota took the threats seriously.
“Being attacked by a serial liar and con man like George Santos is a badge of honor,” said Nate Soule, spokesman for Lawler, while a representative for LaLota dismissed it as Santos just being “mad the congressman has three actual degrees while he lied about having one.”
The House voted decisively on Friday to expel Santos 311-114, despite opposition from House Republican leaders. The vote, which requires a two-thirds majority of the House to execute, makes him the sixth member in the chamber’s history to face such a fate, and the only one to be expelled without a conviction.
Santos’ expulsion came in the wake of a scathing ethics report that heightened concerns among lawmakers about his conduct. He faces federal charges, including allegations of identity theft, unauthorized use of campaign funds, and lying to Congress. Santos, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to go to trial in New York next year.
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