George Santos Is Charging Supporters To Attend His Swearing-In Ceremony

George Santos has offered people the opportunity to attend his swearing-in to Congress for as much as $500, according to a widely circulated invitation.

The incoming member of the House of Representatives was due to be sworn in to the 118^th Congress on Tuesday, but this was delayed after the Republicans (who control the House) failed to elect a speaker after three rounds of voting.

The invitation has prompted accusations that the House's ethical standards may have been broken.

An image of an invitation first posted on Twitter by fellow New York congressman Ritchie Torres (D) on December 30 offered the chance to attend Santos' "swearing-in celebration" for $100 as a basic attendee or $500 as a VIP.

The invitation said the package included a "round trip bus from NY to DC, luncheon, swearing-in ceremony, & Team Santos Tour of Capitol Grounds." It also erroneously listed the date of his swearing-in as January 3, 2022.

Torres wrote that Santos "is charging people for touring the U.S. Capitol and attending his Congressional swearing-in" and claimed he "never misses an opportunity to violate Congressional ethics."

"I would say it's legally questionable and a fairly clear violation of House ethics rules," Daniel Weiner, a former senior counsel at the Federal Elections Commission, told the New York Post when the invitation first surfaced.

Newsweek has contacted Santos for comment.

According to House standards of conduct: "It is fundamental that a Member, officer, or employee of the House may not use his or her official position for personal gain, including any gain that would accrue to the individual in the form of compensation for outside employment activities."

On Tuesday afternoon, Ted Lieu (D-Cal.) tweeted a photo of himself standing outside of Santos' congressional office. Lieu said that in response to the invitation he had "dropped by his office to say hi. Disappointed Santos is nowhere to be found. His office is totally closed."

"The invite was for 2022, perhaps that's why he isn't there," another user responded.

Santos was among many Republican members to vote for Kevin McCarthy to become Speaker of the House. However, after three rounds of voting, McCarthy had failed to achieve the outright majority required to assume the role. Voting will continue today.

The invitation is the latest in a series of controversies that have dogged Santos' ascent into the lower house

On Monday, the congressman-elect admitted he had lied about his résumé and education during his campaign for his N.Y. 3^rd district seat, after being asked about his claims that he had graduated from Baruch College and had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

Questions were also raised about his claim to having Jewish heritage. Santos told the New York Post in an interview that he had "never claimed to be Jewish," but said he was "Jew-ish" after learning of his mother's ancestry.

Federal and local prosecutors are currently investigating Santos over potential criminal activity during his two congressional campaigns.

Also on Monday, the New York Times first revealed that Brazilian authorities intended to reopen a 2008 case against him regarding a stolen checkbook.