Democrat dubbed ‘smurf’ by GOP chairman uses George Santos Cameo video as revenge

Oversight Committee lawmakers exchange taunts and insults as Biden impeachment inquiry continues

A Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has become the latest elected official on Capitol Hill to troll one of his Republican colleagues with a Cameo video from George Santos.

Now expelled from the House in only the sixth such instance in US history, Mr Santos has turned to the videos-for-fees service as a means of capitalising on his infamy and reputation as a huckster. According to Mr Santos and Cameo executives, he has already made more than his yearly salary as a congressman in Cameo fees.

The latest member of Congress to partake in that business venture is Jared Moskowitz, a freshman Democrat on the Oversight panel who has emerged as a frequent foe of the Committee’s Republican chairman, James Comer. Amid squabbles over the Biden impeachment inquiry’s legitimacy on the committee, Mr Comer dubbed his colleague a “Smurf” during a hearing — an apparent reference to the blue suit and tie the Democratic representative was wearing.

On Tuesday, Mr Moskowitz posted his Santos Cameo video on Twitter, which he jokingly called some Hanukkah-themed “words of encouragement from a Jew-ish former colleague of ours”. In the video, Mr Santos tells Mr Comer that he will “slay and kill it” in 2024 and congratulates him on his promotion to chairman of the committee.

Mr Comer, meanwhile, spent Tuesday in front of a slew of cameras having a meeting with Lauren Boebert, the scandal-generating congresswoman from Colorado recently kicked out of a live-action performance of Beetlejuice after being seen on cameras allegedly performing a lewd act in the theatre. The two discussed the ongoing impeachment inquiry, according to her Twitter post. Also in attendance at that meeting was Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The legitimacy of the Republicans’ impeachment inquiry continues to be thrown into question by members of their own party like Ken Buck and Mitt Romney, who have accused their fellows of prejudging the president’s guilt and condemned them for making allegations they cannot substantiate with direct evidence.

Mr Moskowitz has built a reputation outside of the committee as a Democrat willing to work with Republicans on issues where common ground can be reached. Recently, he has worked with Elise Stefanik to press administrators of colleges and universities to strengthen their efforts to root out antisemitism on campuses.

Republicans are set this week to hold a formal vote authorising the work of the already-underway impeachment inquiry. They are not expected to see any Democratic defections, while some of their own may vote against the formal probe. GOP leadership in the lower chamber has thrown its support entirely behind the effort.

The president is accused by members of the GOP of benefitting off of his son Hunter’s efforts to trade influence and access to his father as part of their family’s foreign business ventures. No evidence has yet emerged to prove that Mr Biden ever received any money from his son’s businesses at all, however, and his son’s communications do not conclusively state that the president was ever involved or aware of his son’s activities.

Hunter Biden remains a source of political headaches for the president, however, and this past week was charged with tax crimes. He also faces criminal prosecution over allegedly lying while applying to purchase a firearm.