George Santos should be denied classified info, Dems tell McCarthy

Two congressional Democrats asked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday to restrict Republican Rep. George Santos’ access to classified information, arguing the scandal-plagued freshman lawmaker “cannot be trusted” with confidential materials.

“It is clear that Congressman George Santos has violated the public’s trust on various occasions,” Reps. Joseph Morelle and Gregory Meeks, both from Santos’ own state of New York, said in a letter to McCarthy.

“His unfettered access to our nation’s secrets presents a significant risk to the national security of this country,” the Democrats wrote. “We urge you to act swiftly to prevent George Santos from abusing his position and endangering our nation.”

Santos’ office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the letter.

Just weeks after winning his congressional race in the November midterms, Santos admitted to lying about key details of his personal life and professional history. He has apologized for having “embellished” his resume, but denies committing any crimes.

But as Meeks and Morelle note in their letter, Santos is embroiled in local, state, federal and international investigations. They also flagged recent reporting about Santos’ alleged ties to figures related to a sanctioned Russian oligarch, among other issues.

“The numerous concerning allegations about his behavior over decades put his character into question, and suggest he cannot be trusted with confidential and classified information that could threaten the United States’ national security,” the Democrats wrote.

Top GOP officials in New York have denounced Santos as a liar and a fraud, and a handful of his fellow Republicans in Congress have also urged him to resign. Santos has vowed to serve out his full two-year term, arguing that his district’s voters should be the ones to decide his political fate.

McCarthy, who leads a slim House majority that Santos’ departure could shrink even more, has echoed Santos’ line and refused to join the GOP’s blaring criticism of the congressman.

“You know why I’m standing by him? Because his constituents voted for him,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday. The Republican leader said Santos would only be removed from the House if the Ethics Committee determined that he broke the law.

A spokesman for McCarthy did not immediately comment on the Democrats’ letter.

The McCarthy-led GOP Steering Committee last week awarded Santos spots on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Small Business Committee.

Wednesday’s letter from Morelle and Meeks asked McCarthy to limit Santos’ ability to access classified materials, “including preventing him from attending any classified briefings and limiting his access to such information through his committee assignments.”

The Democrats appeared to acknowledge that Santos was assigned to lower-profile committees, but…