McCarthy: George Santos shouldn’t be on any top House committees

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) should not be on any top House committees after the first-term congressman came under fire over revelations that he embellished parts of his résumé.

“No,” McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday when asked if Santos should be seated on any key committees.

McCarthy made the comments while walking into a meeting of the House Republican Steering Committee, which is tasked with seating members on committees. The panels under consideration at Wednesday’s meeting include the Appropriations, Ways and Means, Financial Services, and Energy and Commerce committees, a source confirmed to The Hill.

Asked about committee assignments on Tuesday, Santos told reporters, “I’ll take whatever I get.”

“I’m not a picky person, I came here to serve the people,” he added.

McCarthy’s vow comes as the pressure around Santos is mounting. Republicans from Nassau County called on the congressman to resign on Wednesday, labeling him “disgraced.” That group included Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), who represents a district neighboring Santos’s.

And on Tuesday, two Democratic House members filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee that accused Santos of failing to file timely, accurate and complete financial disclosure reports.

He is also the subject of investigations by the Eastern District of New York and the Nassau County district attorney. Additionally, the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor’s office has said it plans to reopen a 2008 criminal fraud case involving the congressman.

Santos, however, has remained defiant in his intention to remain in Congress. Shortly after the Nassau County GOP press conference, asked if he would step down, Santos told reporters in the Capitol “I will not.” On Tuesday, he said he has “done nothing unethical.”

Republican leaders have remained largely mum on the topic. Asked if he had spoken with Santos, McCarthy told reporters Monday night, “How I handle internal stuff I handle internally, so I’m sure at times I’ll come tell you.”