Rep. George Santos, R-NY, who has faced scrutiny after lying about his life, fraud claims, racism and various other scandals, has been accused of sexual harassment.
A prospective staffer has filed a police report and a congressional ethics violation complaint against Santos for allegedly groping him and later denying him a promised job.
The allegations against George Santos by Derek Myers were made public Friday by Myers himself, who posted at the beginning of a Twitter thread that he had filed a complaint with both the Capitol Police and the Office for Congressional Ethics “regarding ethical violations and sexual harassment by Congressman George Santos during my time working in his office.”
Today, I filed a police report with @CapitolPolice and a complaint with @CongressEthics regarding ethical violations and sexual harassment by Congressman George Santos during my time working in his office.
— Derek Myers (@DerekMyers) February 3, 2023
Myers posted the ethics complaint letter he sent, which describes an incident on Jan. 25, during a brief period in which he worked in Santos’ office.
According to Myers, he and Santos were working in Santos’ office when the congressman allegedly placed his hand on Myers’ leg, thigh and groin area while making sexual advances to the staffer.
Myers, who said he had been hired as a staffer but worked on a “voluntary” basis until completion of his employment paperwork, reported that he rejected the advance and quickly left the office.
Myers said he was subjected to days of scrutiny about his professional background, covering details previously discussed in his interview process. Then, “on Wednesday, Feb. 1, I was informed that my job offer was being rescinded.”
Myers later told CBS News that “this is not about attention; it’s about holding the actions accountable.” Santos, through his lawyer, has declined to comment on the allegations.
The allegations of sexual assault and harassment against Santos are the latest in an ever-growing list of scandals surrounding the first-term congressman since before he took office.
After a New York Times investigation demonstrated that Santos had lied or exaggerated about nearly every important detail of his life during his campaign, numerous reports and former associates have revealed additional instances of lies, fraud and suspicious behavior by Santos. Though admitting to exaggerating or fabricating some details, Santos has downplayed his alleged misdeeds and refused calls to step down.
While congressional Democrats have called for Santos to be investigated and for the New York representative to resign, Republican leadership has stuck with Santos. His seat is crucial to maintaining a slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives. With this latest criminal and ethics complaint, however, Republicans will be under even more pressure for Santos to be held accountable for his actions.