Status: 01/12/2023 04:25 a.m
New Republican Congressman Santos was elected with a pretty much made-up resume. His party colleagues back home on Long Island are calling for his resignation. But in Washington he is needed.
The resume with which George Santos applied to the Republican Party in Nassau County on Long Island in New York in 2020 as a candidate for the House of Representatives reads impressively.
Top of his class in his senior year at the prestigious Baruch College. A Masters in Business Administration from New York University. Successful project manager at the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Only: everything was a lie, as the New York Times revealed weeks ago.
Indignation only after the oath
Now that Santos has been sworn in as a member of parliament, his previous friends and supporters in his district association are appalled. “His campaign consisted of deceit, lies and fabrications,” Nassau County Party leader Joseph Cairo Jr. said at a news conference on Wednesday. “And those lies weren’t just petty fibs.”
During the election campaign, Santos claimed to be the descendant of Holocaust survivors. Also lied. In doing so, Santos dishonored the House of Representatives, Cairo said. And the party official admitted that he was far too gullible towards the smart, up-and-coming political talent: “My mistake is that I believe people.”
Santos also under legal pressure
Cairo and the district association are now demanding Santos’ resignation. Just like his colleague from the neighboring constituency, Anthony D’Esposito. Santos betrayed the trust of all Americans: “He doesn’t have the ability to be a member of parliament. He should resign.”
The pressure on the 34-year-old Santos is even greater. Two preliminary investigations are underway in New York into possible violations of election finance laws. Santos reportedly donated $700,000 to his own campaign. It is unclear where he got the money from. And in Brazil, where he apparently lived for some time, investigations into check fraud were resumed.
Democrats criticize new leader McCarthy
House Democrats want the ethics committee to look into Santos. Santos is not solely to blame for the embarrassing debacle, says Pete Aguilar, head of the “Democratic Caucus” and thus one of his party’s highest-ranking representatives in parliament. In reality, the new Republican “Speaker of the House” is to blame:
Kevin McCarthy is responsible for this. Without Santos, how would his election as speaker have turned out? That’s the only reason why George Santos was able to exercise his mandate. To vote for McCarthy.
McCarthy protects Santos
In fact, McCarthy has been able to rely on Santos so far: he voted for him – in every single one of the 15 ballots. And so far, McCarthy has kept his protective hand over the impostor:
I obey the constitution. Santos was eventually elected. If there are concerns, the Ethics Committee can address them.
One thing is clear: Should Santos resign, a successor would have to be elected in his constituency in New York. And the Democrats have a good chance of winning back the seat they held until the midterm elections. Then the Republican majority would shrink to just eight votes.
But so far, Santos says he is not thinking of resigning.