NY Republican Rep. George Santos to recuse himself from committee assignments, sources say

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Insiders knew of George Santos' misleading statements before news broke: Report

'The Claman Countdown' anchor Liz Claman and The Federalist senior editor Mollie Hemingway join Howard Kurtz to discuss reports that insiders knew of George Santos' lies and calls for Santos to step down from office.

Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., will step back from the two committee assignments he received in the House of Representatives, sources tell Fox News.

Multiple GOP sources confirm to Fox News that Santos said in a Republican conference meeting Tuesday morning he will recuse himself from his assignments on the Small Business and Science Committees. 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., had faced numerous questions over whether Santos would be permitted to sit on House committees following revelations that he fabricated his work and education history, among numerous other lies. 

McCarthy insisted that Santos would be allowed to sit on committees as an elected member of the House of Representatives. But he also said Santos will be removed from Congress if a House Ethics Committee investigation determines that he violated the law. 

"If for some way when we go through Ethics, and he has broken the law, then we will remove him," McCarthy told reporters last week. 

EMBATTLED GEORGE SANTOS DIPS A TOE INTO CONGRESSIONAL LIFE, DELIVERS THREE SHORT FLOOR SPEECHES

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., waits for the start of the 118th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is seen in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

FEC ASKED TO HOLD OFF ON GEORGE SANTOS PROBE AMID SEPARATE DOJ INVESTIGATION: REPORT

The controversy over Santos erupted after reports revealed that he had lied about major parts of his background, including his work and education history, connections to an alleged Ponzi scheme, his mother's death, and even his Jewish heritage. 

He is also accused of using a fake animal charity in 2016 to scam a disabled veteran by raising money for their dog's cancer treatment and then keeping the funds himself. Santos denies the allegation.

GEORGE SANTOS DELIVERS SPEECH ON HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE AFTER LYING ABOUT JEWISH HERITAGE

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Santos has faced calls to resign from Republicans and Democrats in Congress and numerous New York State Republicans. Santos said earlier this month that he would resign if the 142,000 people who voted for him asked him to.

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Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report.