Bombshell New York Times report raises serious questions about Congressman-elect George Santos' background
NEW YORK - A bombshell report in the New York Times on Monday suggests Republican Congressman-elect George Santos may have lied about large parts of his resume, like where he worked and went to college.
The alleged discrepancies go much further and there are calls for Santos to step down before he's even in office.
Santos, 34, turned a blue district red to represent Nassau's North Shore and parts of Queens by campaigning as a seasoned financier, but the New York Times investigative story "calls into question key parts of the resumé he sold to voters."
Employers and alma maters Santos listed - including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Baruch College and NYU - have "no record" of him.
Other parts of his resume may be "largely fiction," according to the report. There's no record of his purported nonprofit animal rescue. Even claims he lost employees at the Pulse nightclub shooting are disputed.
The Times review of public documents and court filings found criminal charges for check fraud in Brazil, eviction cases against him and raised campaign finance questions.
"This is not about resume padding. This is allegations about the fact he lied on his house ethics forms, allegations about him lying about his personal finances, where his money came from for his campaign. And what's most troubling is George Santos' refusal to answer any questions about this at all." said Robert Zimmerman, a Democrat who lost to Santos in the general election and called out inconsistencies during the campaign.
The Times couldn't find evidence Santos lives at the address where he is registered to vote.
"The totality of it is just so astounding that I don't think the Congress should seat him. Frankly, it's within their purview to decide to seat someone or not. This is not the person that voters chose to elect," said Nassau County Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs.
Some are calling on Santos to resign.
"To lie about where he lives, where he went to college, to lie about his employees dying in a mass shooting, this is somebody disqualified to run for office," said Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, a Democrat and former Congressional candidate.
Joseph Murray, Santos' attorney, called the story a "shotgun blast of attacks." Murray's full statement read:
George Santos represents the kind of progress that the Left is so threatened by - a gay, Latino, immigrant and Republican who won a Biden district in overwhelming fashion by showing everyday voters that there is a better option than the broken promises and failed policies of the Democratic Party. After four years in the public eye, and on the verge of being sworn in as a member of the Republican led 118th Congress, the New York Times launches this shotgun blast of attacks. It is no surprise that Congressman-elect Santos has enemies at the New York Times who are attempting to smear his good name with these defamatory allegations. As Winston Churchill famously stated, 'You have enemies? Good. It means that you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
Joseph Cairo, the leader of the Nassau Republican party, said:
I have read recent news accounts regarding Congressman-elect George Santos. While issues that have been raised in a December 19th New York Times article are serious, I believe that George Santos deserves an opportunity to address the claims detailed in the article, which have been repeated by other news sources. Every person deserves an opportunity to 'clear' his/her name in the face of accusations. I am committed to this principle, and I look forward to the Congressman-Elect's responses to the news reports.
Little can be done unless any of the alleged mischaracterizations amount to a crime, according to political observers.
"It's extremely rare throughout the history of this country that Congress has actually expelled one of their own. Unfortunately lying on your resume is not is not a problem for running for office," said Basil Smikle, director of the public policy program at Hunter College. "Voters will just have to wait for the next election to be able to have their say."
Santos' attorney said he is discussing the congressman-elect's response.
The Times also found no evidence of the $80 million family investment firm Santos has claimed he manages.