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George Santos (on January 25)
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MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPO
US Congressman George Santos, who has been criticized for making false statements about himself, is under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told CNN on Tuesday.
If the committee finds something, action will be taken, McCarthy said, with a view to Santos' political future in Congress.
'There are questions.
I expect they will be answered."
Santos is said to have invented large parts of his CV – including information about his professional career and his origins.
Last week it became known that the FBI is apparently investigating the MP from the state of New York for alleged embezzlement of donations.
The investigators are investigating allegations that Santos embezzled money he had collected for a Marine veteran's sick dog on the Internet, according to several US media reports.
The veteran, Richard Osthoff, told US media that he had given the FBI information related to the money.
Among them were text messages that Osthoff exchanged with Santos.
The 34-year-old was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in the congressional elections in November.
The newspaper »New York Times« then took a close look at Santos' CV.
For example, he claimed to have been a "savvy Wall Street investor."
However, when asked by the newspaper, alleged employers said Santos had never been employed by them.
The newspaper was also unable to verify his university degree.
CV »embellished«
Santos has also been accused of misleading the public about his family history and alleged Jewish background.
The New York prosecutor's office then began an investigation in December.
In an interview, the Republican admitted that he had "glossed over" his resume.
Despite repeated calls for his resignation, Santos has so far ruled out such a move.
However, he gave up his posts on various committees.
According to recent polls, 78 percent of voters in his New York constituency think Santos should resign.
Should he vacate his seat, the Republicans could lose the constituency, which has been more Democratic in the recent past, in by-elections.
That would make the extremely slim majority they have had in the House of Representatives since January even smaller.
sol/dpa