Newly elected Republican Congressman George Santos has already admitted that he made up key parts of his educational and professional background to "embellish" his resume during his candidacy.
A New York Times investigation uncovered discrepancies about his life, his family, his studies and his work to win a seat in the House of Representatives for the New York district. He is the first openly gay Republican to be elected to Congress and says he has no plans to resign his seat for District 3 in Nassau County (Long Island).
During the last few days, new reports have been uncovered that would prove that his lies began years before his entry into politics . Santos himself acknowledged that he did not graduate from any university nor did he work at Citigroup Bank or Goldman Sachs, as he claimed during his candidacy.
His Jewish roots
The New York Times has already denied the congressman's statements that he was Jewish like his mother and his Ukrainian grandparents, and that the latter were persecuted by the Nazis during World War II. According to records, his grandparents on his mother's side were born in Brazil and had no Jewish or Ukrainian ancestry.
Following this revelation, the Democratic Party is demanding that the Republican Party call a vote to expel Santos in light of his refusal to vacate his seat.
Fraud investigation
Brazilian authorities will revive a criminal fraud case against the elected deputy. The charges date back to 2008 and relate to the theft of a checkbook. The case was not pursued further because Santos returned to the United States while the investigation was ongoing, and Brazilian authorities lost track of him.
Nathaly Ducoulombier, a spokeswoman for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor's office, told the Times that since the exact location of George Santos was now known, she would ask the U.S. Justice Department to notify the New York Republican of the charges so that the investigation could be reopened.
The death of his mother
The Republican congressman also claimed that his mother died as a result of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. The journalistic revelations cast doubt on the veracity of these statements, and he also admitted to lying about this case during an interview with the New York Post.
In remarks made through his campaign website, George Santos revealed that his mother lost her life a few years after the September 11, 2001 attack due to cancer.
"George's mother was in the South Tower office on Sept. 11, 2001, when the terrible events of that day unfolded. She survived the tragic events of 9/11, but passed away a few years later when she lost her battle with cancer," reads Santos' campaign website.
In addition, in response to a Twitter message posted in 2021 by a user, who stated that "September 11 was a victimless crime," Santos asserted: "9/11 claimed my mother's life... so I'm blocking you so I never have to read this again."
