George Santos: imposter gets two committee posts in US Congress

Controversial MP
Despite his lies, impostor George Santos gets two committee posts in the US Congress

Conman with a seat in Congress: George Santos in front of the US Capitol in Washington

© Win McNamee / Getty Images

Republican George Santos captured a seat in the House of Representatives in November’s congressional elections — lying about bending the bars. Now his party also gives him seats on two committees.

Despite his lies, controversial Republican Congressman George Santos has been given seats on two committees in the US House of Representatives. The Republican judging panel, led by new chamber speaker Kevin McCarthy, voted to give Santos places on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Small Business Committee, US media unanimously reported. Although the posts still have to be confirmed by Republicans in the House of Representatives, they generally agree to the recommendations made.

The “Committee on Science, Space, and Technology” and the “Committee on Small Business” are among the lesser-known congressional bodies. Santos had according to the US broadcaster CNN campaigned with senior Republicans to serve on two other high-profile committees, one on financial sector oversight and another on foreign policy. However, this was rejected as some committee chairmen were reluctant to include him.

George Santos refuses to resign

Santos was first elected to the House of Representatives in the congressional elections in November and a little later from the New York Times exposed as an impostor. The 34-year-old claimed to have been an “experienced investor on Wall Street”. However, his alleged employer stated that Santos was never employed there. The newspaper was also unable to verify his university degree. Santos is also said to have lied to the public about his family history and alleged Jewish background, as well as his financial circumstances. The New York prosecutor’s office therefore began investigations in December.

Small Business Committee chair Roger Williams defended Santos’ appointment to his committee. Williams said he didn’t agree with what the 34-year-old said and did, and didn’t agree with any of it the US broadcaster NBC News. “But at the same time he’s on the committee. We have to abide by rules. He represents about a million people in New York. […] We’re going to have a lot to do and we’re going to do some good things and he’s going to be a part of it.”

Santos himself only admitted in an interview that he had “embellished” his CV. He refuses to give up his position as a member of parliament. Even the Republican leadership in his Nassau County, New York constituency last week called on him to “resign immediately,” saying Santos had “disgraced the House of Representatives” and should not be serving the public good.

A resignation of Santos would be problematic for the Republicans in the House of Representatives, because the party only has a wafer-thin majority there. If the newly elected MP were to leave, a new election would have to be held in his constituency – and then the Democrats could possibly take the seat and the Republican majority would be even smaller. Democrat and current US President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election in Nassau County.

Sources: NBC News, “New York Times”, CNN

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