Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is back in the spotlight again after becoming notorious for telling a series of lies when he was running for his seat in 2022. But now, it appears he might be in legal trouble for his questionable behavior.
CNN reported:
Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against New York Rep. George Santos, the Republican lawmaker whose astonishing pattern of lies and fabrications stunned even hardened politicos, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
Santos is expected to appear as soon as Wednesday at federal court in New York’s eastern district, where the charges have been filed under seal.
The exact nature of the charges couldn’t immediately be learned but the FBI and the Justice Department public integrity prosecutors in New York and Washington have been examining allegations of false statements in Santos’ campaign finance filings and other claims.
The report also notes that Santos “has been under investigation in multiple jurisdictions and by the House Ethics Committee.”
Santos began getting attention last year when many of his claims about his past and career fell under scrutiny. It was revealed that he made several deceptive statements on the campaign trail, including false claims that he is Jewish and that he worked for several high-profile corporations before delving into politics.
In an interview with the New York Post, he appeared to come clean about many of the falsehoods he told. Santos confessed that he had misrepresented his college attendance and employment history at high-profile Wall Street firms. He acknowledged that he never graduated from any college and clarified that he had not directly worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup but had conducted business with them through his former employer, Link Bridge.
The lawmaker also addressed accusations of lying about his family history, sexual orientation, and being a deadbeat tenant. Despite the controversy, he expressed determination to serve his two-year term effectively in Congress and deliver on his campaign promises.
Santos also faced scrutiny for falsely claiming to be Jewish on his campaign website. It said that his mother was Jewish and his grandparents escaped the Nazis. He clarified that he is Catholic but explained that his maternal family had a Jewish background, leading him to describe himself as “Jew-ish.”
The lawmaker also confirmed that he had been married to a woman until his divorce in 2017 and asserted that he is now happily married to a man. In addition, Santos admitted to failing to pay rent to a former landlord while citing financial difficulties due to his mother’s medical debt. He also acknowledged lying about owning multiple properties and revealed that he currently lives with his sister but plans to purchase his own place.
However, despite all his shady behavior, Santos maintained that he was not a criminal and denied the allegation that he had a criminal charge in Brazil. He insisted that the controversy would not hinder his effectiveness as a congressman and he would focus on delivering results for the people. Santos clarified that the reported assets in his financial disclosure report were tied to his consulting firm and claimed that all his finances came from the firm.
Senior House Republicans were apparently aware of the inaccuracies in Santos’ resume, and while some considered it a running joke, they believed the voters would address the issues during the election. Democrats have repeatedly called on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to urge Santos to resign, but the Speaker refused. However, depending on the nature of the charges against him, it seems possible that his short political career might be coming to an end.
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