Former prospective aide accuses George Santos of ethics violations and sexual harassment

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., the freshman lawmaker accused of fabricating key parts of his résumé, is being accused of ethics violations and sexual harassment by a former prospective congressional aide, according to a letter posted Friday on Twitter.

In the letter to the House Ethics Committee, Derek Myers accused Santos of groping him when he worked for Santos’ office as a volunteer, and he requested an investigation into the allegation whether correct procedure was followed related to his work as a volunteer in Santos’ office.

Myers said that Santos offered him a job and that he briefly worked as a “volunteer” in the office while his paperwork was being processed before the offer was rescinded last week.

Myers alleged that Santos asked him Jan. 25 whether he had an account on Grindr, a popular dating app used by millions of gay men, and that Santos said he had a profile. Myers said he was alone with Santos in his personal office Jan. 25 working through mail correspondence when Santos “called me ‘buddy’ and insisted I sit next to him on a small sofa.”

He alleged that Santos then invited him to go to karaoke that night. Myers said he declined Santos’ invitation before Santos touched his groin and said his husband was out of town.

Myers also alleged that his volunteer status — which he said included answering phones, reading mail and corresponding with constituents — “within a congressional office without the correct procedures being followed is in violation of the House Ethics.”

News of Myers’ allegations was first reported by The New York Times. A spokesperson for Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the ranking member of the Ethics Committee, confirmed to NBC News that Myers’ letter had been received and declined to provide further comment.

Myers tweeted Friday that he also filed a report with U.S. Capitol Police and a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics. Capitol Police have not responded to a request for comment.

Myers was charged last year with wiretapping in Ohio after a small newspaper he ran published courtroom audio testimony that someone else recorded and sent to him. Journalism organizations called for all charges to be dropped.

Santos faces intense scrutiny after the bombshell Times investigation in December showed much of his résumé appeared to have been manufactured, including claims that he owned numerous properties, was previously employed by Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and had attended and graduated from Baruch College.

Santos has admitted to some of the fabrications of his résumé while trying to downplay his lies. In remarks to the New York Post in December, he said: “My sins here are embellishing my résumé. I’m sorry.”

Although some fellow Republicans have called on him to resign, including GOP lawmakers in New York state, the GOP Steering Committee, which is led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., voted to give him two committee posts. Last month, Santos said he will recuse himself from his committee assignments amid multiple investigations into his finances and other issues.