>>> WE NOW KNOW OFFICIALLY THAT GEORGE SANTOS IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION THE HOUSE HICS COMMITTEE.
THE HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN McCARTHY CONFIRMING THAT TO CNN FOR THE
FIRST TIME EARLIER TODAY. BUT THE FRESHMAN REPUBLICAN SAYS
HE IS NOT CONCERNED, THAT, EVEN AS HE FACES MOUNTING PROBLEMS ON
MULTIPLE FRONTS. AND GET THIS, A BUS LOAD OF HIS
CONSTITUENTS RIGHT NOW IS ON THE WAY TO WASHINGTON TO CALL ON
MR. SANTOS TO BE EXPELLED FROM CONGRESS.
>> WHO IS REPRESENTING US? I FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOME KIND OF
STORYBOOK CHARACTER THAT'S SCAMMING US AND LAUGHING.
BECAUSE WE'RE BEING SCAMMED. >> IT'S AMAZING THAT SOMEBODY
CAN JUST LIE, LIE AS MUCH AS HE DID, WITHOUT ANY COMPASSION OF
WHO HE HAS INSULTED. >> OUR GREAT REPORTERS ARE BACK
WITH US. HE IS A STORYBOOK CHARACTER,
MEL. AND THE SPEAKER TODAY CONFIRMING
FOR THE FIRST TIME THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE IS TAKING A
LOOK. WE KNOW THAT THE FTC AND
REGULATORY AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT HIS CAMPAIGN.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS AN INVESTIGATION.
GEORGE SANTOS SAYS, FOR STATE OF THE UNION, ALL'S GOOD.
>> YEAH, SO, GEORGE SANTOS, WE KNOW HE'S UNDER INVESTIGATION AT
THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE. HE'S FACING A LITANY OF HIS
INVESTIGATIONS. HE'S REALLY TRYING TO PUSH BACK
IN A WAY WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE. HE'S BEEN DEFIANT IN THE FACE OF
FALSE RESIGN. BUT FOR KEVIN McCARTHY, THE
STRATEGY IS JUST TO KEEP THE DISTANCE.
HE CAN REALLY HIDE BEHIND THE FACT THAT THERE IS AN
INVESTIGATION AT THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE AT THE LOCAL
AND STATE LEVELS AND SAY LET'S JUST LET THAT PLAY OUT BUT THERE
WILL BE A TIME WHEN THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE MAKES A
DECISION. THERE WILL BE A DECISION THAT
CUMMINGS DOWN AND THEY'LL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION HOW TO HANDLE
THE MATTER. IF THEY DO PUSH HIM OUT OF
CONGRESS, THERE COULD BE A SPECIAL ELECTION, THEY COULD
LOSE THAT SEAT. BUT FOR NOW, THEY'RE HOPING THIS
ALL GOES AWAY. >> AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OR
SEVERAL OF THE QUESTIONS RESOLVE AROUND CAMPAIGN FINANCES.
SANTOS, 199.99 CAMPAIGN EXPENSES FOR SPUTTING SCRUTINY ON THE
LONGTIME TREASURER. LEE ZELDIN, WORKED FOR THE
FORMER CONGRESSMAN OF THE NEW YORK, YOU HAVE TO DETAIL
ANYTHING ABOUT $200. 199.99, RAISES SKEPTICISM THERE.
GEORGE SANTOS, HE SAYS I'M THE CONGRESSMAN, THAT'S MY CAMPAIGN.
>> I'M NOT A CAMPAIGN MANAGER. I CAN'T ANSWER THAT --
>> SO YOU SAY -- >> I NEVER DO MY OWN TREASURY,
NEVER DID. >> EXCUSE ME, THAT'S A COPOUT.
THE CANDIDATE IS THE CEO OF THE CAMPAIGN.
LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU GOT TO PAY ATTENTION.
>> YEAH. AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO
QUESTION THAT HIS CONVEYOR BELT OF ACCUSATIONS IS GOING TO KEEP
COMING. WE KNOW HOW IT IMPACTS SANTOS.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER IT WILL CONTINUE TO ERODE PRESS AND
OTHER REPUBLICANS IN McCARTHY. I THINK McCARTHY'S STATEMENT IS
IF ETHICS FINDS SOMETHING, WE'LL TAKE ACTION, BUT DO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE REALLY HAVE CONFIDENCE WITH THE PAPER THIN MAJORITIES
IN THE HOUSE THAT THEY'LL ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WILL TAKE
ACTION AND EXPEL HIM. >> YEAH, WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE
REM CAN BRAND IF THEY CONTINUE TO BEND THE GUY AND SAY HE GETS
TO BE ON COMMITTEES. HE'S ASKED VOLUNTARILY TO STEP
DOWN BECAUSE THE SPEAKER REALIZED IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME.
HAVE YOU EVER REMEMBER A FRESHMAN MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS
WHO HAS CONSUMED SO MUCH OXYGEN? >> NO, AND WE'RE JUST IN THIS
INCREDIBLE REMARKABLE NEWS CYCLE WHERE EVERYDAY THERE DOES SEEM
TO BE SOME NEW STORY, SOME NEW LIE, NEW FABRICATION, SOME
PECULIAR NARRATIVE FROM HIS PAST.
BUT I DO THINK WHAT'S REMARKABLE, MEL, YOU SHOULD
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE, EVEN, YOU KNOW,
COMPARED TO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN WE DIDN'T KNOW ALL OF THE
INFORMATION WE KNOW HOW, I MEAN, HE'S KIND OF IN THE SAME PLACE,
RIGHT? WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIG
QUESTION OF WHETHER HE'S COMPOSE TO BEING EXPELLED FROM CONGRESS.
WE'RE WAITING FOR THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO NOW DO THIS
INVESTIGATION. AS YOU SAID, McCARTHY IS
BASICALLY DEFERRING TO THAT COMMITTEE, AT THIS MOMENT IN
TIME, EVEN UNDER THE PRESSURE THAT HE'S FACING, EVEN GIVEN ALL
OF THAT, HE'S NOT REALLY CLOSE TO BEING EXPELLED FROM CONGRESS?
>> NO, BUT I DO THINK IT'S INTERESTING SOME OF THESE OTHER
HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN NEW YORK IN HIS FRESHMAN CLASS HAVE GONE OUT
OF THE WAY TO CALL FOR HIM TO RESIGN.
TO YOUR POINT, CLEVE, THIS IS THEM RECOGNIZING HE'S A HUGE
PROBLEM FOR THEM. WHATEVER HAPPENS TO SANTOS THIS
COULD FALL BACK ON HIM SO THEY'RE CREATING DISTANCE.
>> EVEN McCARTHY SEEMS TO BE INCHING THERE.
HE NEEDS THE VOTE BUT HE COMES TO THE REALIZATION THIS DANCE
IS NOT GOING TO LAST