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John Locher/AP
U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos of New York was underneath investigation by Long Island prosecutors on Wednesday, after revelations surfaced that the now-embattled Republican lied about his heritage, education and professional pedigree as he campaigned for workplace.
Despite intensifying doubt about his health to carry federal workplace, Santos has proven no indicators of stepping apart — whilst he publicly admitted to a protracted listing of lies.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, a Republican, mentioned the fabrications and inconsistencies have been “nothing short of stunning.”
“The residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress,” she mentioned. “If a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.”
Santos’ marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Wednesday.
He is scheduled to be sworn in subsequent Tuesday, when the U.S. House reconvenes. If he assumes workplace, he might face investigations by the House Committee on Ethics and the Justice Department.
Santos recommended he doesn’t plan to step apart in a Twitter put up Wednesday a couple of go to to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy earlier within the day.
“In Congress, I look forward to working alongside them to fully utilize this amazing resource we have in our own backyard in #NY03,” the tweet mentioned.
The Republican has admitted to lying about having Jewish ancestry, a Wall Street pedigree and a university diploma, however he has but to deal with different lingering questions — together with the supply of what seems to be a rapidly amassed fortune regardless of latest monetary issues, together with evictions and owing 1000’s in again lease.
Fellow Long Island Republican, Rep.-elect Nick Lalota, mentioned he was troubled by the revelations.
“I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,” Lalota mentioned Tuesday.
The New York legal professional normal’s workplace has already mentioned it is wanting into points which have come to gentle.
A spokesperson for the Nassau County DA’s workplace, Brendan Brosh, mentioned Wednesday: “We are looking into the matter.” The scope of the investigation was not instantly clear.
Other Republicans castigated Santos however stopped in need of asking him to step apart.
“Congressman-Elect George Santos has broken the public trust by making serious misstatements regarding his background, experience and education, among other issues,” mentioned Joseph G. Cairo, chair of the Nassau County Republican Committee, which is throughout the third Congressional District.
Questions intensified after The New York Times examined the narrative Santos, 34, offered to voters throughout his profitable marketing campaign for a congressional district that straddles the north shore suburbs of Long Island and a sliver of Queens.
The Times uncovered information in Brazil that present Santos was the topic of a prison investigation there in 2008 over allegations that he used stolen checks to purchase gadgets at an clothes store within the metropolis of Niteroi. At the time, Santos would have been 19. The Times quoted native prosecutors as saying the case was dormant as a result of Santos had by no means appeared in courtroom.
Santos continued to disclaim that he was being sought by authorities in South America.
Democrats pounced, calling Santos a serial fabulist and demanded he voluntarily not take workplace.
In an interview with the New York Post earlier this week, Santos apologized for his fabrications however downplayed them as “sins” over embellishing his resume, including that “we do stupid things in life.”
He admitted to mendacity about working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, in addition to having earned a level in finance and economics from Baruch College in New York.
Beyond his resume, Santos invented a life story that has additionally come underneath query, together with claims that his grandparents “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII.”
During his marketing campaign, he referred to himself as “a proud American Jew.”
He backtracked on that declare, saying he by no means supposed to assert Jewish heritage, which might have doubtless raised his enchantment amongst his district’s vital ranks of Jewish voters.
“I am Catholic,” he informed the Post. “Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.'”
In a press release 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 mentioned. “He will not be welcome at any future RJC event.”
On Fox News Tuesday evening, Santos got here underneath withering questioning by former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was sitting in for Tucker Carlson.
“You don’t really seem to be taking this seriously,” she informed him.
“You’ve apologized, you’ve said you’ve made mistakes, but you’ve outright lied. A lie is not an embellishment on a resume,” she mentioned.
“Look, I agree with what you’re saying,” Santos replied. “We can debate my resume and how I worked with firms such as -“
“Is it debatable?” Gabbard interjected. “Or is it just false?”
“No, it’s not false at all,” he mentioned. “It’s debatable.”
Santos misplaced his first race for Congress in 2020 however efficiently ran once more this yr.
In its opposition analysis on Santos, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised a number of crimson flags concerning the Republican’s document — but additionally accepted a few of his assertions, together with his instructional document, as truth. The 87-page file sought to tie him to the Jan. 6 rebel on the U.S. Capitol and his assist for baseless claims of widespread fraud within the 2020 presidential election. The report additionally sought to depict him as a far-right candidate. But buried inside its report, the DCCC had raised points about his shaky monetary standing and a number of evictions that left him 1000’s of {dollars} in debt.
Federal marketing campaign information present that he loaned his marketing campaign greater than $700,000, however the supply of that cash has but to be defined.
His Democratic opponent, Robert Zimmerman, additionally tried to boost Santos’ misrepresentations throughout his shedding marketing campaign, however it did not achieve a lot traction.
Zimmerman has mentioned Santos is unfit for workplace and has referred to as for him to step apart so a particular election might be held.
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