The newly elected New York representative is under scrutiny after fabricating details about his career, education, and heritage.
A New York prosecutor has initiated an investigation into Congressman-elect George Santos following revelations that he made several false claims about his career, educational background, and personal history. Media investigations have uncovered that the Long Island Republican misrepresented his qualifications and exaggerated aspects of his Jewish heritage during his campaign.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly called the fabrications “stunning,” emphasising the need for honesty and accountability from public representatives. She stated, “The residents of Nassau County and the third district deserve a truthful and responsible representative in Congress. If a crime was committed here, we will pursue legal action.”
Santos, the first openly gay non-incumbent Republican to be elected to Congress, falsely asserted that he had worked for prestigious Wall Street firms like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs after graduating from Baruch College, according to The New York Times. Additionally, he misrepresented his family background, initially claiming his mother was Jewish and his grandparents escaped the Nazis, only to later retract those statements. “I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos clarified in a statement. “I’m Catholic. When I learned that my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”
The congressman-elect is also facing scrutiny regarding his financial situation. During his 2020 campaign, his financial records indicated he had no assets and earned a salary of $55,000. However, his 2022 filings suggest that in 2021, he earned between $3.5 million and $11.5 million from his firm, Devolder Organization, which focuses on connecting investors with capital.
The firm loaned $700,000 to Santos’s congressional campaign, raising questions about the source of such substantial funding. New York Representative Ritchie Torres has called for an immediate investigation by the Ethics Committee, tweeting, “George Santos, a former call centre worker struggling to pay rent, lent his campaign over $700,000. Where did this money come from?”
In a recent Fox News interview, Santos defended his credibility, saying, “I understand people want to scrutinise me, but I want to reassure everyone: I am not a facade. I have worked hard for my extensive career.”
