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Santos won’t participate in the House Committees he was assigned to.

This week, controversial New York Congressional Representative George Santos announced that he would be temporarily abstaining from participating in the two Congressional Committees he was assigned to, the House Committee on Small Business and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

In a public statement, Santos said that he wanted to wait until he could clear his name before participating in any Congressional activities so that he could fulfill his position “without distraction.”

“I want to personally thank Speaker McCarthy for meeting with me to discuss the matter and allowing me to take time to properly clear my name before returning to my committees,” Santos said. “To my constituents, I remain committed to serving the district, and delivering results for both New York’s Third Congressional District and for the American people.”

Embattled congressman George Santos announces he won't take up his committee assignments as he faces an ethics investigation and probe into his campaign finances. @rachelvscott reports. pic.twitter.com/zl4iIG4T7m

— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 1, 2023

Santos is under numerous investigations over his provably falsified credentials and history, with the most pressing investigation being into his campaign committee’s financial reports. Investigators are currently researching the source of Santos’ personal wealth and campaign donations due to an amendment on his Federal Election Commission forms stating that his donations did not come from his own finances. As large donations from external sources to political campaigns is illegal, in the event that Santos’ paperwork is found to have any “materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation,” he could face jail time and fines according to FEC investigators.