Embattled Rep. George Santos heckled after landing at LaGuardia Airport
NEW YORK -- Congressman George Santos is back in town.
CBS2's cameras were there when he landed at LaGuardia Airport late Saturday afternoon.
Santos was heckled by someone who yelled "con artist" as he walked through baggage claim before being hammered with questions over his increasingly checkered past and claims he's been hiding out in Washington, D.C., to avoid his constituents.
"I have spoken with the voters. I have been in the district the whole week. I have been taking constituent calls. I have received federal grant applications for projects in the district, and I look forward to serving the people. The one thing I'll say is the media, we've received plenty of complaints about you guys," Santos said.
Santos never broke stride as he was followed by a gaggle of reporters, deflecting and dodging.
"Was your mother at the World Trade Center on 9/11?" one person asked.
"Guys, look, look, this isn't how you conduct an interview," Santos said.
Santos refused to answer questions about whether his mother was inside the World Trade Center during 9/11, a story the congressman has repeatedly told and one which a researcher told us isn't possible.
"She was in Brazil for years before and after, so she could not have been in New York on 9/11," genealogy researcher Alex Calzreth. "It's just one more lie on top of all the other lies, but this is somehow that much more significant because for New York, it's a seminal event."
In a week of extreme ups and downs, Santos had his Twitter account suspended and denied claims he stole thousands of dollars meant for a veteran's dying service dog.
On the other hand, Santos was just approved to two House committees and reportedly has the backing of House leadership.
State Assemblyman Charles Lavine also governs in Santos' district.
"It's heartbreaking. This is just a complete exercise in cynicism," he said. "He is their Frankenstein. He is their creation. We now have to figure out how to exist with him."
Santos' Twitter account has since been restored. In one of his latest tweets, he posted about immigration and claimed Democrats don't want to fix it.