Congress might not be the place for Rep. George Santos (R-NY).

George Santos

The Story

Congress might not be the place for Rep. George Santos (R-NY).

What do you mean?

Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee released a report saying there is “substantial evidence” that Santos violated federal law. Ever since Santos won his seat in the 2022 midterms, there’s been no shortage of drama: questions over his resume, an allegedly tweaked family tree, and a 23-count indictment alleging he committed fraud. Now, the committee’s report said Santos knowingly committed campaign fraud and he “cannot be trusted.” It said he used campaign cash to pay his credit card debt and thousands of dollars worth of purchases at Hermès, Sephora, and OnlyFans.

What’s next?

Santos called the findings a “politicized smear” but said he won’t be seeking reelection. Still, the House may not want to wait until next year, with reports it’s looking to expel him (again) — this time with more support from Democrats and Republicans. For now, the committee is referring their findings to the Justice Department to further investigate. Santos faces a criminal trial next year, and two of his campaign aides have already pleaded guilty to federal charges.

theSkimm

The GOP holds the slimmest majority ever. Now, Santos — who won a previously held Dem seat — could further weaken their majority, only weeks after Republicans barely managed to agree on a House speaker.

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Who has questions to answer for…

Diddy — aka Sean Combs. Yesterday, Cassie — an R&B singer once signed to Combs' label — accused him of rape, physical abuse, and sex trafficking. The allegations are graphic: Cassie (aka Casandra Ventura) says she started a relationship with Combs after meeting him in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37. Since then, Ventura says he had fits of “uncontrollable rage,” accusing him of punching and kicking her, and forcing her to have sex with other men. In 2012, Combs allegedly threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s car after finding out she was dating him. Kid Cudi has reportedly confirmed his car then exploded. She also says Combs raped her in 2018 when she tried to end the relationship and that he once dangled a friend off of a balcony. Combs denies all the allegations and accuses Ventura of trying to blackmail him for $30 million, with the threat of writing “a damaging book about their relationship.” A lawyer for Ventura said she rejected Combs’ offer of “eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit.”

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