George Santos Is Accused of Sexual Harassment in His Capitol Office

A potential congressional aide has accused Consultant George Santos of ethics violations and sexual harassment, in accordance with a letter the person despatched to the Home Committee on Ethics and posted to Twitter on Friday.

The person, Derek Myers, briefly labored in Mr. Santos’s workplace earlier than his job supply was rescinded earlier this week, in accordance with the letter.

Mr. Myers stated within the letter that he was alone with Mr. Santos in his workplace on Jan. 25 when the congressman requested him whether or not he had a profile on Grindr, a preferred homosexual relationship app. Then, he stated, Mr. Santos invited him to karaoke and touched his groin, assuring him that his husband was out of city.

Mr. Myers’s account couldn’t be corroborated, however a spokeswoman for Consultant Susan Wild, rating member of the Home Ethics Committee, acknowledged that his letter had been acquired by her workplace.

Mr. Myers stated in an interview that he additionally filed a report with the Capitol Police, talking to an officer over the telephone. On Twitter, he said that he was making his grievance public for the sake of transparency.

“They’re critical offenses and the proof and information will communicate for themselves if the committee takes up the matter,” he wrote.

A day earlier than making his grievance public, Mr. Myers acquired consideration following the discharge of recordings he had secretly fabricated from Mr. Santos and his chief of workers, Charley Lovett.

Mr. Myers was charged final 12 months with wiretapping in Ohio, after a small newspaper he ran revealed audio of courtroom testimony that another person recorded and despatched to him. Journalism organizations rallied round him, calling for the fees to be dropped within the title of press freedom.

Mr. Santos instructed the information start-up Semafor on Thursday that his workplace had been within the technique of hiring Mr. Myers, however had determined in opposition to it due to considerations over the wiretapping expenses. Mr. Lovett confirmed the identical to Speaking Factors Memo.

Mr. Santos, a Republican representing New York’s Third Congressional District, is the topic of quite a few investigations into his enterprise and marketing campaign funds. Mr. Santos’s communications director didn’t reply to requests for a response, directing the matter to his private lawyer. His lawyer declined to touch upon Mr. Myers’s allegations.

Mr. Myers claimed that the alleged harassment occurred 5 days earlier than he secretly recorded Mr. Santos. In that dialog, audio of which was revealed by Speaking Factors Memo, Mr. Myers declared his fealty to Mr. Santos, telling him, “We’re all George, that is how we received right here. We’re simply masters of the sport.”

At one other level, Mr. Myers says on the recording, “I’ll by no means deceive you guys. I’ve no motive to. However I’ll lie for you.”

“You shouldn’t,” Mr. Santos replies.

In his letter to the Ethics Committee, Mr. Myers stated that he was instructed he would work in Mr. Santos’s workplace as a volunteer earlier than his employment paperwork was processed.

He stated within the letter that he now believed that such an association violated the Home’s ethics guidelines, and he requested the committee to analyze Mr. Santos for his use of volunteer labor in addition to for sexual harassment.

It’s unclear how the Ethics Committee will proceed. Tom Rust, the committee’s chief counsel and workers director, declined to remark, and the spokeswoman for Ms. Wild stated that the congresswoman wouldn’t “make feedback concerning potential or pending issues earlier than the committee.”

The Capitol Police didn’t reply to messages requesting affirmation that Mr. Myers had filed a report.