WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) Democratic Congressmen Gregory Meeks and Joseph Morelle on Wednesday sent a letter to US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, requesting that he restrict Republican Congressman George Santos' access to classified information due to concerns about his history of dishonesty.
"We write to express our serious concerns over newly elected Congressman George Santos and whether it is appropriate for him to access confidential and classified information," the letter said. "As the newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, we call on you to limit Congressman George 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."
Following his election to the House of Representatives in November, Santos admitted to fabricating portions of his educational and professional background. Moreover, Santos is the subject of state and Federal probes related to campaign finance violations and other matters.
Members of the House of Representatives are not mandated to have security clearances and are not entitled to unlimited access to classified information, the letter said.
Santos' "untrustworthiness" could warrant the US intelligence community to limit certain classified information shared with Congress, the letter said. Such a limitation could impact the lawmakers' ability to oversee classified government programs, the letter added.
The Democrats' request comes following McCarthy's decision to bar Democratic Congressmen Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee, citing concerns about their alleged foreign ties and past actions that could negatively impact the panel and its public perception.
