George Santos says he will recuse himself from House committees to avoid 'being a distraction'


Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) said Tuesday he will recuse himself from sitting on his assigned committees amid ongoing ethics issues and criminal investigations.
Santos made the announcement in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, sources said, telling colleagues he would not sit on the House Small Business Committee or the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. While Santos himself refused to comment on the meeting, two GOP House members, Roger Williams (Texas) and Mike Lawler (N.Y.) told Axios that Santos had indeed pledged to step down from his assignments.
Santos reportedly told those in the room he was recusing himself "to prevent from being a distraction."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A spokesperson for Santos later confirmed his decision to NBC News.
"[Santos] has reserved to see it until he has cleared up both campaign and personal financial investigations," the spokesperson said.
The freshman congressman has admitted to fabricating numerous portions of his background and education. This includes lying about where he went to college, lying about his religious and ethnic background, and lying about his work experience at Wall Street firms.
Despite this, the newly led Republican House, helmed by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) previously doled out the pair of committee assignments to Santos.
Santos is also facing criminal investigations in New York over alleged campaign finance violations.
His decision to remove himself from the committees comes as a new poll, released Tuesday by Newsday-Siena College, found 78 percent of voters in Santos' district thought he should resign from Congress. Many Republicans have also said the same.
Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.), who serves in Santos' neighboring district, told The New York Times Santos "did not have the ability" to represent the people of his state. He has been joined by many other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Crossword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
13 potential 2028 presidential candidates for both major parties
In Depth A rare open primary for both parties has a large number of people considering a run for president
By David Faris