'Questionable stock trading': Santos to file ethics complaints against Republicans who ousted him

Former Rep. George Santos (R-New York), who became the sixth member of the House of Representatives to be expelled from the body on Friday, is now launching formal ethics complaints against several House Republicans who voted for his ouster.

Santos announced on X (formerly Twitter) in several late-night tweets that he would be filing complaints against four of his Republican colleagues, including three from the Empire State — Reps. Nick LaLota (R-New York,) Mike Lawler (R-New York), Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) and Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey). All four of those Republicans voted in favor of the resolution to expel Santos.

"Monday I will be filling an official complaint with the Office of congressional Ethics against @NMalliotakis regarding her questionable stock trading since joining the Ways and Means committee this Congress," Santos tweeted, tagging Rep. Malliotakis' official handle. "Before joining the committee the congresswoman didn’t have an active trading habit or a high volume stake. The question is, what set of information is she trading with?"

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Santos' claim about Malliotakis isn't mere conjecture: A Staten Island-based publication reported in April that the New York Republican "cashed in" on bank-related stock, buying up to $15,000 in shares of New York Community Bancorp for $6.54 per share on March 17, three days before the share price jumped by more than 30% following news of the bank's subsidiary company acquiring the deposits of a failed bank. Brooklyn Paper — another local publication in Malliotakis' district — also reported on the timing of the stock purchase.

"Both last night at this morning I have been meeting with the Federal Reserve, U.S. Department of Treasury, Governor Hochul, and New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris to discuss the closure of Signature Bank which has multiple branches that are utilized by residents and small businesses in our community," Malliotakis tweeted on March 13, just four days before her stock purchase. "I’ve been assured all depositors will be made whole through the Deposit Insurance Fund which is made up of contributions from all member banks, not taxpayer funds."

In the other complaints, Santos is accusing Rep. Lawler of "engaging in laundering money form[sic] his own campaign to his firm then into his own pocket" (which Santos is also accused of), and alleges Rep. LaLota no-showed to a taxpayer-funded job on the local board of elections while he worked toward his law degree at Hofstra University at the same time. The final complaint to be filed accuses Rep. Menendez — the son of embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) — of potentially having knowledge of his father's alleged actions on behalf of the Egyptian government.

"[T]he complaint is to seek clarification from the freshman congressman on his involvement with his fathers overseas dealing over the years and any potential compensation he received," Santos tweeted. "I think it’s a fair point to make sure we weed out the doubt surrounding Rep Menendez and his business associations with his father."

READ MORE: Santos calls out 'felons galore' in House who get 'drunk' with 'lobbyists they're going to screw'

The complaints appear to be Santos following through on statements he made during an audio forum on X earlier this month, in which he alleged the House of Representatives was full of "felons galore" whose actions should also be investigated by the ethics committee.