Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein
- Rep. George Santos was supposed to file his annual financial disclosure on August 13. He still hasn't.
- That's a violation of the Ethics in Government Act, carrying a $200 fine.
- The House Ethics Committee is already investigating him over past issues with his disclosures.
Rep. George Santos has broken the law — again.
The New York Republican, currently facing federal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to the House of Representatives, has once again failed to file his annual financial disclosure on time.
The disclosures were originally due on May 15, but like most other House members, Santos requested a 90-day extension.
That pushed the deadline back to August 13, but as of Wednesday morning, Santos still had not filed the documents, which are required of every member of the House and Senate. The New York Times first reported that Santos failed to file the documents.
Under the Ethics in Government Act, Santos will now be subject to a $200 late filing fee. The House Ethics Committee has the power to waive the fee in "extraordinary circumstances" if Santos applies for a waiver, but it is unclear if they would do so in this case.
Santos' congressional office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the matter.
The scandal-plagued congressman, who has admitted to fabricating broad swaths of his background, is already facing scrutiny over past financial disclosures.
He was previously late in filing required financial disclosures during his campaign, according to one ethics complaint, and the House Ethics Committee's inquiry into Santos includes whether he "failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House."
Additionally, Santos' federal indictment also includes charges of making false statements on financial disclosures that he filed in 2020 and 2022.
The congressman's latest financial disclosures, which would include the entire year of 2022, could offer a greater window into his enigmatic financial situation, especially given the ongoing scrutiny from federal prosecutors and House ethics officials.
Despite facing possible censure in the House, a lack of support from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and calls to resign from fellow Republican congressmen from New York, Santos has continued to mount a 2024 re-election campaign.
He reported raising over $100,000 from April to June, most of which went into his own pocket in the form of campaign loan repayments.