Republican Congressman Temporarily Withdraws from Committees After Calls to Resign

On Tuesday, congressman Richard Santos, of Brazilian origin, announced he will temporarily withdraw from two committees due to ongoing investigations into possible criminal activities. Santos stated that he asked for the Republican leader of Congress, Kevin McCarthy, to be absent from the committees until the issues surrounding him are “clarified” to prevent the “media uproar” from affecting the political course.

Despite this concession, Santos has not mentioned the possibility of resigning, as the Republican Party has formally requested. In a survey by Sienna Poll, the majority of the voters of his district have called for the congressman’s resignation.

Before making his statement, Santos had a closed door meeting with his colleagues in Washington and had previously met with McCarthy the prior Monday. Reports stated that it was Santos who suggested the idea of withdrawing from the committees.

Santos, age 34, is being investigated for possible financial crimes or false statements, as well as for alleged fraud in Brazil years ago. He only admitted to having “beautified” his resume, such as having graduated from a prestigious university he never attended.

Despite being a first concession, Santos has yet to resign his seat, which is the call from the majority of his district. EFE nqs/fc © EFE 2023.