Confusing his financial history was also a part of the plan, the report contests. To cover his tracks, Santos crafted a “fictional” financial narrative surrounding what he called his “family’s firm,” the Devolder Organization. Yet that group turned out not to be a financial institution but an LLC that almost exclusively received bank deposits and transfers from other accounts operated by Santos.
“At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles,” the report read. “Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”
The bipartisan House Ethics Committee said that Santos should be publicly condemned for his actions, which the report notes were “beneath the dignity of the office and … brought severe discredit upon the House.” They opted against recommending any sanctions against Santos, predicting that the process would have dragged on for months, reported Roll Call.