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Rep. George Santos of New York said he will not seek reelection after the House Ethics Committee released a comprehensive report following an investigation into his campaign.
The House Ethics Committee said it found "substantial evidence" that Santos "violated federal criminal laws" in a report released on Thursday (November 16).
The report concluded that Santos "sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit."
The committee said that Santos used campaign funds for personal purposes and "knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission."
The report also uncovered "uncharged and unlawful conduct" that Santos allegedly engaged in. Santos is currently facing 23 federal charges, including fraud related to COVID unemployment benefits, misusing campaign funds, and providing false information on his House disclosure reports. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The committee said it would refer the findings to the Justice Department for further investigation.
Following the release of the report, the committee's chairman, Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest, said he plans to file a motion to expel Santos from Congress.
"Chairman Guest feels that the evidence uncovered in the Committee's investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment and that the most appropriate punishment is expulsion," a spokesperson from Guest's office told Fox News.
Santos previously survived an effort to oust him from Congress. Many Democrats voted against expelling him at the time because they wanted to wait for the Ethics Committee's report.
Despite the report and numerous allegations against him, Santos maintained his innocence in a lengthy post on X announcing his decision not to seek reelection next year.
"I will remain steadfast in fighting for my rights and for defending my name in the face of adversity. I am humbled yet again and reminded that I am human and I have flaws, but I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves. I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed. I will however NOT be seeking reelection for a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time," Santos wrote.