Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., the freshman lawmaker accused of fabricating key parts of his resume, is accused of ethics violations and sexual harassment by a would-be former congressional aide, according to a letter posted Friday on Twitter.
In the letter to the House Ethics Committee, Derek Myers accused Santos of groping him when he worked for Santos’ office as a volunteer, and he called for an investigation into the allegation if the correct procedure had been followed regarding his work as a volunteer in Santos. desk.
Myers said Santos offered him a job and he briefly worked as a “volunteer” in the office while his paperwork was being processed before the offer was rescinded last week.
Myers alleged that Santos asked him on Jan. 25 if he had an account on Grindr, a popular dating app used by millions of gay people, and that Santos said he had a profile. Myers said he was alone with Santos in his personal office on Jan. 25, working by mail when Santos “called me ‘buddy’ and insisted I sit next to him on a small couch. “.
He alleged that Santos then invited him to go to karaoke that night. Myers said he declined Santos’ invitation before Santos touched his groin and said her husband was out of town.
Myers also alleged that his volunteer status — which he said included answering the phone, reading mail and corresponding with constituents — “within a congressional office without the correct procedures being followed is in violation of the law. ‘Ethics of the House’.
News of Myers’ allegations was first reported by The New York Times. A Santos spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., a ranking ethics committee member, confirmed to NBC News that Myers’ letter had been received and declined to provide further comment.
Myers tweeted friday that he also filed a report with the United States Capitol Police and a complaint with the Congressional Ethics Office. Capitol Police did not respond to a request for comment.
Myers was charged last year with wiretapping in Ohio after a small newspaper he ran published courtroom audio testimony that someone else had recorded and sent to him. Journalism organizations have called for all charges to be dropped.
Santos is under intense scrutiny after The Times’ explosive investigation in December showed much of his resume appeared to have been fabricated, including claims he owned numerous properties, was previously employed by Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and had attended and graduated from Baruch College.
Santos admitted to some of the fabrications on his resume while trying to downplay his lies. In remarks to the New York Post in December, he said, “My sins here embellish my resume. I’m sorry.”
Although some of his fellow Republicans called on him to step down, including GOP lawmakers in New York state, the GOP Steering Committee, which is led by R-California Chairman Kevin McCarthy, voted to give him two positions on the committee. Last month, Santos said he would recuse himself from his duties on the committee amid multiple investigations into his finances and other issues.
