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CNN
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Republican congressman-elected George Santos has faced mounting criticism from House Democrats, some of whom are calling for him to step down, and even some corners of the Republican Party are criticizing his peers. At least one of the incoming Republicans is calling him to face the Ethics Investigation. However, House Republican leaders have remained silent on revelations that a New York Republican lied about parts of his biography.
Santos has admitted to falsifying his past work and educational background on his resume and apologized, but said he intends to work for Congress.
Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Rep. Ted Liu of California called on Santos to step down after giving interviews in which he admitted to “flashing” his resume, and if he refuses, the House will. asked to expel him.
Castro called for Santos to be investigated by authorities, arguing whether he was allowed to serve in Congress after a New York Republican lied about his resume. personal functions and achievements. ”
Former federal prosecutor Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, called Santos a “complete scam.” He criticized House Republicans, saying, “Congress also has an obligation to hold George Santos accountable, but it is sadly clear that House Republicans cannot be trusted to initiate an investigation in the House Ethics Committee. It is.”
At least one incoming member of the Republican Congress has said Santos will face scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee, an investigative panel evenly split between Republicans and Democrats but with limited options for influence. asked.
“As a Navy man who campaigned to restore accountability and integrity to our government, I demand a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, by law enforcement. I believe.” It marks the harshest condemnation ever from a Republican who has come to Congress or is currently serving.
“New Yorkers deserve truth, and House Republicans deserve this chance to govern without distractions,” LaRota added.
Another Republican-elect, Rep. Anthony Desposito of New York, condemned Santos’ false statements and called for him to “pursue the path of honesty,” but did not go so far as to call for an investigation.
“Neighbors across Long Island are deeply hurt and rightfully upset by the lies and false statements made by Congressman-elect George Santos,” he said in a statement. “Santos has taken a necessary step by ‘getting clean’ on his education, work history and other issues, but he must continue to walk a path of integrity.”
House Republican leadership is unlikely to reject Santos’ seat, which he plans to be sworn in next Tuesday along with the rest of the new members of Congress. has the power to do so, but doing so is extremely rare, and only five members of Congress have been expelled in U.S. history.
Other than referral to the House Ethics Committee, other potential options for dealing with Santos include not giving him a commission assignment.
Up until now, the California Republican has shown little willingness to punish his own lawmakers for bad behavior, especially when it comes to their behavior before becoming a congressman. McCarthy also declined to comment on his opinion, claiming that if members were under investigation, they would develop the investigation before deciding how to proceed.
In an interview published Monday night, Santos told the city and state:
McCarthy’s office and the National Republican Congressional Committee did not respond to CNN’s request for comment Monday night.
But the Republican accusations came from outside Congress.
Nassau County Republican Commissioner Joseph G. Cairo Jr. said Tuesday that Santos is “breaking public trust” and that “a lot of work needs to be done to restore voter confidence.”
“I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Santos and expected more than a full apology,” Cairo said in a statement. The damage done to the
CNN’s KFile reported that Santos’ claim that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” by changing their surnames as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium “survived the Holocaust” was based on genealogy websites, records on Jewish refugees, and family trees compiled by the genealogy website. It reported conflicting sources, including interviews with several genealogists.
“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the New York Post on Monday. Now that I know, I said “Jewish”.
However, Santos described himself as a “proud American Jew” in documents shared with Jewish groups during the campaign. This was first reported by Forward and confirmed by CNN.
The Republican Jewish Coalition said Tuesday that the incoming congressman “misrepresented his legacy” and “will not be welcomed at future RJC events.”
RJC CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement: “He deceived us and misrepresented his heritage. Publicly and privately, he had previously claimed to be Jewish. I started my term in Congress the wrong way.”
Santos admitted on Monday that he didn’t graduate from any of them, even though he claimed to have degrees from Baruch College and New York University.
He also admitted that he never worked directly for financial firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as previously suggested, but claimed to have worked for them through his own company. , told the New York Post that it was a “bad choice of words” to say he worked for them.
The New York Times first revealed last week that Santos’ biography appears to be partially fictional.CNN confirmed details of its coverage, including his college education and work history.
