NEW YORK (AP) — Long Island prosecutors have launched an investigation into U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos of New York, after revelations surfaced that the now-embattled Republican lied about his heritage, education and professional pedigree as he campaigned for office.
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But despite intensifying doubt about his fitness to hold federal office, Santos has thus far shown no signs of stepping aside — even as he has publicly admitted to a long list of lies.
“The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-Elect Santos are nothing short of stunning,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, a Republican.
“The residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress,” she said. “No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.”
Santos’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
He was scheduled to be sworn in next Tuesday, when the U.S. House reconvenes. If he assumes office, he could have face investigations by the House Committee on Ethics and the Justice Department.
The New York attorney general’s office has already said it is looking into some of the issues that have come to light.
The Republican has admitted to lying about having Jewish ancestry, a Wall Street pedigree and a college degree, but he has yet to address other lingering questions — including the source of what appears to be a quickly amassed fortune despite recent financial problems, including evictions and owing thousands in back rent.
Some fellow Republicans had called for Congress and law enforcement to launch inquiries.
Fellow Long Island Republican, Rep.-elect Nick Lalota said he was troubled by the revelations.
“I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,” Lalota said Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Nassau County DA’s office, Brendan Brosh, said Wednesday: “We are looking into the matter.” The scope of the investigation was not immediately clear.
Other Republicans castigated Santos for his dishonesty but stopped short of asking him to step aside.
“Congressman-Elect George Santos has broken the public trust by making serious misstatements regarding his background, experience and education, among other issues,” said Joseph G. Cairo, chair of the Nassau County Republican Committee, which lies within the 3rd Congressional District.
Cairo said he “expected more than just a blanket apology,” adding that “the damage that his lies have caused to many people, especially those who have been impacted by the Holocaust, are profound.”
Fellow Long Island Republican, Rep.-elect Nick Lalota said he was troubled by the revelations.
“I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,” Lalota said Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Nassau County DA’s office, Brendan Brosh, said: “We are looking into the matter.”
Questions intensified after The New York Times examined the narrative Santos, 34, presented to voters during his successful campaign for a congressional district that straddles the north shore suburbs of Long Island and a sliver of Queens.
The Times uncovered records in Brazil that show Santos was the subject of a criminal investigation there in 2008 over allegations that he used stolen checks to buy items at an clothing shop in the city of Niteroi. At the time, Santos would have been 19. The Times quoted local prosecutors as saying the case was dormant because Santos had never appeared in court.
Santos continued to deny that he was being sought by authorities in South America.
Democrats pounced, calling Santos a serial fabulist and demanded he voluntarily not take office.
In an interview with the New York Post earlier this week, Santos apologized for his fabrications but downplayed them as “sins” over embellishing his resume, adding that “we do stupid things in life.”
He admitted to lying about working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as well as having earned a degree in finance and economics from Baruch College in New York.
Beyond his resume, Santos invented a life story that has also come under question, including claims that his grandparents “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII.”
During his campaign, he referred to himself as “a proud American Jew.”
He backtracked on that claim, saying he never intended to claim Jewish heritage, which would have likely raised his appeal among his district’s significant ranks of Jewish voters.
“I am Catholic,” he told the Post. “Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”
In a statement Tuesday, the Republican Jewish Coalition repudiated Santos.
“He deceived us and misrepresented his heritage. In public comments and to us personally he previously claimed to be Jewish,” the coalition said. “He will not be welcome at any future RJC event.”
Santos lost his first race for Congress in 2020 but successfully ran again this year.
In its opposition research on Santos, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised several red flags about the Republican’s record — but also accepted some of his assertions, including his educational record, as fact. The 87-page dossier sought to tie him to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and his support for baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The report also sought to depict him as a far-right candidate. But buried within its report, the DCCC had raised issues about his shaky financial standing and multiple evictions that left him thousands of dollars in debt.
Federal campaign records show that he loaned his campaign more than $700,000, but the source of that money has yet to be explained.
“George Santos is delusional if he thinks voters will trust him after he’s been exposed for lie after lie and continues to withhold key information,” DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said.
While his Democratic opponent, Robert Zimmerman, also tried to raise Santos’ misrepresentations during his losing campaign, it did not gain much traction.
Zimmerman had said that Santos was unfit for office and has called for him to step aside so a special election can be held.
He has the chutzpa to say that he “embellished” his resume. No! He’s a straight up fraud and a serial liar and should never enter office. How could anyone think that he should? All the time, energy and money that an opponent spends campaigning should just be forgotten about? Absolutely not!
How many bloggers with IQ’s in the cretin range are going to say that whatever Santos did is okay because it prevented a Democrat from being elected?
What’s the difference between him and Pocahontas
No civilized society can allow an elected official to promote himself with blatant lies
Let him change parties to Democrat so he can lie officially
Judging the reaction alone you would think he was the first politician to lie his way into office. Compared to the lies Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, AOC and co said about their backgrounds before getting elected maybe you can question if he is in the right party but as far as belonging in office is concerned he is no different than them.
He is taking the office under false pretense and needs to step aside. An apology simply does not cut it after such blatant lies. Another election should be scheduled.
Anyone investigating Lizzy Warren?
<em>“Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”</em> Because he was probably relying on Hitler’s definition of who is Jewish
It certainly is not illegal for a politician to lie. Still, looking into this matter seems called for.
“Federal campaign records show that he loaned his campaign more than $700,000, but the source of that money has yet to be explained.”
That is could have a LOT more consequences than the lies because the $700k came from a corporation.
Some reports coming in at the moment indicate his campaign was funded by the Russians. Might be true, might not be true. time will tell.
The lying is no problem legally. The campaign-financing laws on the other hand are tough.
If the media reallycared about liars who have lied about their lives and resumes they would be calling out these others. Biden lied about his resume for 40 years, plagiarized a british politicians life story, blamed his wife’s death on a drunk driver when he wasn’t, and had already died so couldnt defend himself, she ran a stop sign, lied about getting arrested with Mandela, and just a week or so ago claimed his father asked him to get the purple heart his uncle was awarded but never received and he did gave it to him all after he was elected VP in ’08, when his father had died back in ’02 and his uncle in ’99. Warren lied for years about being Native American to get ahead. Blumenthal lied about serving in ‘Nam.
What’s the difference between him and Pocahontas?
Zimmerman had said that Santos was unfit for office and has called for him to step aside so a special election can be held.”
Incorrect. The voters spoken loud and clear that they want a Republican to represent them in Congress. It will be up to the RNC to replace Mr. Santos with the candidate that THEY want. Regardless of the investigation, Mr. Zimmerman will not be in any race. The voters in his district told him no. Zimmerman can run again in 2 years if he so chooses.
I think he should run for President. He sounds like a better liar than Biden.
Is it possible that he actually believes all of the lies that he has told? He seems to think he’s done nothing wrong. Is he actually George Santos?
Anyone investigating hakeem fjcc jeffries best friend ilhan omar for marrying her brother?