George Santos communications chief resigns following release of damning ethics report and 23 federal criminal charges
WASHINGTON, DC: Gabrielle Lipsky, communications director for Rep. George Santos (R-NY), has resigned as a member of Congress.
This follows a damning report released by the House Ethics Committee indicating “substantial evidence” that Santos violated federal criminal laws.
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Who is Gabrielle Lipsky?
Gabrielle Lipsky, who began serving in Santos’ congressional office in January 2023 after working on his congressional campaign from April 2022 to November 2022, submitted her resignation following the committee’s investigation.
According to her LinkedIn, Lipsky previously worked as a fall associate for The Madison Group and as an account executive at AMW Public Relations. She cites her primary skill as “public policy.”
Gabrielle Lipsky (LinkedIn)
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The report, which subjected Santos to intense political pressure on Capitol Hill, highlights several instances where the New York Republican allegedly “stole from his campaign.”
The House Ethics Committee report found that Santos “blatantly stole from his campaign,” spending official funds on a trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, a trip to Las Vegas, as well as Botox and other cosmetic procedures.
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The panel said it was unable to verify whether the spending had a campaign purpose, but it appears that is not the case.
Misappropriation of campaign funds
Santos also allegedly used money from an outside strategy firm created to support his campaign at luxury brand Hermes, to make payments for his personal credit cards and cover his personal debts, and to make small purchases on OnlyFans, which is widely used for adult content. according to the report.
In addition to detailing Santos’ “misuse” of official funds, the committee raised questions about the suitability of campaign resources for personal use.
George Santos faces 23 federal criminal charges (Instagram/@rep.georgesantos)
As the Ethics Committee’s findings reverberate on Capitol Hill, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), chairman of the Ethics Committee, introduced a resolution to expel Santos.
Guest emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating: “The evidence uncovered during the investigation by the Investigative Subcommittee of the Ethics Committee is more than sufficient to warrant sanction and the most appropriate sanction is expulsion . »
Guest could introduce the bill as a privileged resolution when the House returns to Washington after the Thanksgiving holiday, which would require leaders to act on the measure within two legislative days.
MPs consider expelling George Santos
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who forced the first vote on Santos’ expulsion, has expressed his intention to submit a privileged resolution to oust Santos when the House returns on November 28. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who filed an ethics complaint against Santos, echoes this sentiment.
This adds to the GOP Rep.’s statement on Friday, November 17, signaling a bipartisan push for accountability.
Santos, in response to the ethics committee’s findings, called the report “biased” and a “disgusting politicized smear that shows how far our federal government has fallen.” Despite the controversy, he announced that he would no longer seek re-election but would continue to serve until he could no longer do so.
“I will continue my mission to serve my constituents until I am allowed to do so. I will, however, NOT seek re-election for a second term in 2024, as my family deserves better than to be constantly under fire from the press,” Santos wrote.
If there was an ounce of ETHICS within the “ethics committee”, they would not have published this biased report. The Committee has gone to extraordinary lengths to defame me and my legal team about my lack of availability (my bills suggest otherwise).
It’s disgusting…
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) November 16, 2023
In addition to the ethics scandal, Santos faces 23 federal charges, including allegations of deceiving donors, fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits, lying about House financial information, inflating funding reports campaign and charges on donors’ credit cards without authorization.
Although he has pleaded not guilty to all charges, Santos’ trial is scheduled for September 2024, The Hill reported.
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