A US congressman who lied about his past says he wants to step down from key committees on Capitol Hill.

George Santos has resisted calls for his resignation as a member of the US House of Representatives after it emerged he fabricated claims about his background.

Amid increasing pressure to step down, he has now told Republican colleagues he wants to recuse himself from committee assignments until his “issues are resolved”, according to party members at the meeting.

George Santos: The truth about Republican ‘fraud’ and what the future holds for him

On top of persistent questions about falsehoods surrounding his past employment, education, and family background, Mr Santos is facing separate investigations into his financial affairs and campaign finances.

The 34-year-old House of Representatives member had been given positions on congressional committees for science and small business.

However, a spokesman for Mr Santos said he wants investigations into his campaign and financial affairs “cleared up”.

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Mr Santos was elected to the House of Representatives in November, but his short career in office has been dogged by continued revelations of falsehoods in his self-penned backstory.

What claims has Santos made?

‘Deceit, lies and fabrication’

Calls for Mr Santos to resign as a congressman have been made by Republicans as well as his Democrat opponents.

In the district where he was elected, New York’s Nassau County, local Republicans have called for him to stand down, calling his election campaign one of “deceit, lies and fabrication”.

Santos, however, still enjoys the backing of senior Republicans on Capitol Hill, who need his seat to maintain a slim majority in the House of Representatives.

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