Outraged voters petition Speaker Kevin McCarthy to expel Rep. George Santos over lies
NEW YORK - On Holocaust Remembrance Day, outraged Jewish constituents of Rep. George Santos renewed calls for the Speaker of the House to expel the representative of Queens and Long Island.
Among his apparent fabrications: His family fled the Holocaust.
Signatures were collected Friday as angry voters tried to turn up pressure in Washington.
Jeff Wisenfeld, the son of Holocaust survivors, helped pen a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy urging him to oust Santos, who he says fabricated ties to the Holocaust for political gain.
"With the Holocaust, people who are systematically murdered, to adopt their martyrdom in false terms as part of your identity is disgusting," Wiesenfeld said.
Wiesenfeld, a Great Neck Republican, believes Santos' continued occupancy of a seat in Congress is damaging his party.
"Santos is a sick individual and full of compulsive behavior, some of them miserable, and we have to get rid of him because it's bad for the party," Wiesenfeld said.
Yet Mayor Eric Adams Friday mirrored McCarthy's refrain.
"My personal belief is he should resign. The voters voted him in. Unless his colleagues in Congress determine that there's some criminality, or some strong ethics that they're going to bring up on internal review, I think the voters have to make that determination," Adams said.
"We didnt vote for the person who is currently in Congress. He fabricated his resume. He told intentional lies," said Casey Sabella.
In Bayside, petitions urging his ouster were signed by Democrats and Republicans.
"I did vote for him, and now have a whole different perspective," said Dan Cruz. "Big mistake.
"We have to let Republicans know it will cost them more to keep him in Congress than it will to remove him. The constituents need, and demand, and are entitled to representation in Congress," said former Democratic candidate Robert Zimmerman.
While in Washington, Santos tried turning the tables.
"You're lying to the American people. When you stop lying... I'll talk to you," Santos said.
"So you actually were on a volleyball team in college, at Baruch College," a reporter asked.
Don't expect a resignation, says Santos' former boyfriend.
"I don't think so. His ego is too, is too big, too high. He's not going to resign. If they don't find out something to get him off, he's not going to do it, that's for sure," Pedro Vilarva said.
Petitions will be hand-delivered to the Speaker's office - constituents sending their message directly to Capitol Hill.
The Federal Election Commission has admonished the Santos campaign, instructing them to correct the name of their treasurer on its most recent filing, or face penalties.
Requests for comment from the Santos communication staff were not answered Friday.