Santos accused of sexual harassment by prospective staffer
4 Min Read
In a series of scandals, George Santos is yet again accused of another scandal, this time involving sexual harassment.
-
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., arrives for a vote at the Capitol. (Getty Images)
Rep. George Santos has been accused of sexual harassment and ethics violations by a prospective staffer who briefly worked in Santos's office.
The former aide, Derek Myers, claimed in a letter to the House Committee on Ethics on Friday that he was forced to work in Santos's office as a volunteer, and detailed an instance of sexual harassment. Myers distributed a copy of the letter via Twitter.
Myers claimed that on January 25, Santos asked him if he had a profile on Grindr, the popular LGBTQ+ dating app, before admitting that he did.
Read next: Santos vows to step down if all his 142,000 voters tell him to
Later that day, Myers wrote that he was alone in his office with Santos, reviewing constituent mail, when the congressman "insisted I sit next to him on a small sofa."
He then claimed that Santos placed his hand on his leg and invited him to karaoke, which he declined. Santos then proceeded to touch him inappropriately, while telling Myers that his husband was out of town, according to his account.
He also stated that he was offered a job in Santos's office on January 23, but was forced to work as a volunteer — a violation of ethics rules — until all necessary paperwork was completed.
Myers wrote on January 30th that he was called into Santos' office and questioned about his "background as a journalist" and other matters that he had already disclosed to hiring managers prior to receiving a job offer.
Read next: Santos will be removed if Ethics panel says he broke the law: McCarthy
Myers wrote on February 1 that he had been informed that his job offer had been withdrawn.
On Friday, Myers tweeted that he had filed a police report with Capitol Police and written to the House Ethics Committee "regarding ethical violations and sexual harassment by Congressman George Santos during my time working in his office."
Today, I filed a police report with @CapitolPolice and a complaint with @CongressEthics regarding ethical violations and sexual harassment by Congressman George Santos during my time working in his office.
— Derek Myers (@DerekMyers) February 3, 2023
"These matters will not be litigated on social media or through news media. They are serious offenses and the evidence and facts will speak for themselves if the committee takes up the matter. This tweet is being made public in light of transparency," he added.
Myers wrote in the letter that he was seeking an investigation into Santos.
Timeline of Santos scandals
The Republican representative has been accused of a series of scandalous matters. On February 2, reports revealed that a GoFundMe campaign raised $3,000 for life-saving surgery for a dying assistance dog owned by a handicapped homeless US Navy veteran, but the funds were never delivered to the Navy vet. After that, Santos stopped replying to his texts, and the veteran's dog died a few months later.
On February 1, he withdrew from sitting on House committees, he said in a closed-door meeting amid persistent doubts about his history and future in Congress. The New York Republican said in a statement that the "ongoing attention" surrounding investigations into his personal and campaign finances prompted his request to be temporarily disqualified from the panels.
On January 19, two sources told Reuters that Santos was a drag queen in Brazilian beauty pageants 15 years ago. The congressman's old friend, a 58-year-old Brazilian drag performer who uses the drag name Eula Rochard, said he befriended him during a parade in Niteroi, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro in 2005.
On December 27, the Representative-elect for the House of Representatives confessed that he had lied about his education, background, and job history during the campaign. The representative-elect declared that it wouldn't prevent him from serving his two-year tenure in congress.
