NY GOP reps introduce bill to ban George Santos from profiting off fame if convicted

A group of New York Republicans introduced legislation in Congress on Tuesday that seeks to ban House members from profiting off of fame that results from being convicted of certain crimes. 

The legislative package, consisting of the “No Fame for Fraud Resolution” and the “No Fortune for Fraud Act,” appears aimed squarely at Rep. George Santos (R-NY), despite the fact he is not mentioned by name in the bills. 

“I am committed to advancing good, accountable government here in our nation’s capital, and that includes preventing elected officials who broke the public’s trust from profiting from their misdeeds,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, the freshman sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement.

“Con artists, liars, and fabulists who lied their way into Congress should not be able to monetize their lies, and this legislative package would ensure they are unable to do so,” D’Esposito said.

“I spent the greater part of my career keeping criminals off the streets of New York, and now I want to keep fraudsters out of the halls of Congress,” the former NYPD detective added.

Reps. Nick Lalota, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Nick Langworthy and Brandon Williams co-sponsored the package, which  would prevent members of Congress who violate certain election laws and other federal statutes from receiving compensation for biographies, media appearances or other creative works.

“He’s trying to use his new infamy to enrich himself, to further what he set out to do three years ago, to use his persona as a public figure to enrich himself,” LaLota told reporters Tuesday, referencing Santos directly.

“And we New York Republicans can smell a scam from a mile away. And George Santos’ scam absolutely stinks,” he added.

Santos, elected to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District last November, has been mired in controversy since his midterm victory over lies he told on the campaign trail about his education, work history and religious background. 

The lying Long Island Republican is also under federal criminal investigation, with the Justice Department reportedly probing possible campaign finance crimes. 

Santos is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which established a subcommittee solely devoted to investigating the New York Republican due to the massive scope of his alleged misdeeds. 

The Ethics Committee said the panel will look into whether Santos “engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office.”

Santos admitted to The Post in December that he made-up large parts of resume while running for office, but adamantly claimed: “I am not a criminal.”