Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), the freshman lawmaker who lied about his education, professional background, and heritage while on the campaign trail, is facing federal charges, several people familiar with the matter told CNN, The New York Times, and The Associated Press.
The charges filed against Santos in the Eastern District of New York won't be unsealed until he appears in court, which could come as early as Wednesday, CNN reports. When reached for comment on Tuesday, Santos told AP, "This is news to me. You're the first to call me about this."
Santos, who has admitted to fabricating stories about his college degrees, being a volleyball star, and having Jewish ancestry, has also been accused of violating campaign finance and federal conflict of interest laws and stealing money raised for a veteran's dying dog; he denies any wrongdoing.
The FBI, Justice Department, House Ethics Committee, and public integrity prosecutors in New York and Washington have been investigating several claims against Santos, including allegations of false statements in his campaign finance filings. Santos is also facing charges in Brazil on check fraud, with a hearing scheduled for that case on Thursday.
Democrats and some New York Republican lawmakers have called on Santos to step down. "There's a clock ticking, and George Santos should have resigned in December," Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said. "He should have resigned in January. He should have resigned yesterday, and maybe he'll resign today. But sooner or later, honesty and justice will be delivered." House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has a narrow GOP majority, has said he will ask Santos to resign if he is found guilty.