A Congressman-elect from Long Island is facing increased scrutiny over his resumé in which he lied about his educational and work backgrounds, according to a report.
Calls for George Santos to resign are growing before he is even seated in the House of Representatives. Critics of the Republican gathered on Tuesday outside of a Whitestone apartment — the place New York's Board of Elections lists as his legal address.
But both the building's landlord and a neighbor confirmed: Santos no longer lives there. The neighbor said he believes Santos moved out in September.
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Every aspect of Santos’ life is now under the microscope following a New York Times report that he fabricated much of his political resumé.
In the run-up to the November election, Santos reportedly claimed to have attended New York University and graduated from Baruch College "with a bachelor's degree in economics and finance." NBC New York received statements from both schools saying a search of academic records could not confirm his attendance or completion of graduation requirements.
Professional work reportedly led Santos to Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, where he became "a seasoned Wall Street financier and investor," according to the Republican's campaign website. But both neither company was able to confirm that he ever worked at either of them.
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"He has spat in the face of every resident in the 3rd Congressional District and said facts do not matter," said Josh Lafazan, a Democrat and Nassau County legislator who was a one-time political rival of Santos. Lafazan is now calling on him to resign.
Robert Zimmerman, the Democrat Santos defeated in November in a historic race for New York's 3rd district (it marked the first time in U.S. history that two openly LGBTQ congressional candidates went head-to-head), is demanding investigations into whether Santos lied on his financial disclosure forms — a potential crime.
"How we go forward is to demand that George Santos be fully accountable with documentation to answer these questions," Zimmerman told NBC New York.
So far, Santos has only released a statement characterizing the report as a political attack. A statement released through the congressman-elect's attorney said that Santos "represents the kind of progress that the Left is so threatened by - a gay, Latino, first generation American and Republican who won a Biden district."
A spokesperson for the New York Times said that the "deeply-researched and thoroughly fact-checked reporting speaks for itself. We stand behind its publication unreservedly."
Retired Long Island Republican Congressman Peter King on Tuesday urged Santos to face the accusations with transparency.
"He can’t just say none of this happened and none of this is true," King said. "He has to show why what he is saying is true. The burden is now on him."
In January, the Republican is expected to be welcomed into the new Congress alongside other first-time representatives. But the recent report has potentially put that moment in jeopardy.
King said he wouldn’t be surprised if Democrats try to block Santos from taking his seat in Congress in two weeks, but added that for the moment, there’s not enough evidence to justify such an action.
