(CNN) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said New York GOP Rep. George Santos is facing a House Ethics Committee probe, confirming for the first time that the panel has opened an investigation into the embattled freshman. McCarthy said the House will take action depending on what the panel finds.
Asked about Santos’ constituents calling on him to resign, McCarthy said: “Ethics is moving through, and if ethics finds something, we’ll take action. Right now we’re not allowing him to be on committees from the standpoint of the questions that have arisen.”
Santos told CNN he is “not concerned” about the House Ethics investigation confirmed by the speaker.
As far as his constituents coming to the Hill demanding Congress vote to expel him, Santos told reporters he looks forward to welcoming them and rejected the notion that he is a distraction.
“You’re saying that the freedom of speech of my constituents is a distraction to my work?” Santos said. “Do you think people are a distraction to the work I’m doing here?”
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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