Beleaguered Congressman-elect George Santos was reportedly sworn in Tuesday despite spiraling investigations by federal and local prosecutors into his campaign spending and lies about his family history, resume and background.
New York’s new Republican congressman refused to answer questions from reporters on and off Capitol Hill, including one about plans to resign. Santos was seen sitting alone on the Republican side of the House ahead of Tuesday’s vote for House Speaker.
The victory of Santos, an openly gay Republican who captured a Democrat-held ten-year seat in the Long Island House, was initially seen as one of his party’s bright spots in a midterm election that, otherwise, is not was not at all flattering.
But when reports began to emerge that he had lied about his Jewish heritage, his career in major Wall Street firms and his college degree, Santos became a distraction and an embarrassment to the party, which was poised to seize control of the House of Representatives.
Though some Republicans have called for ethics investigations or Santos’ resignation, House GOP leaders, including Kevin McCarthy, who is running to become the next House Speaker, have remained remarkably silent.
For his part, Santos apologized for his inventions but dismissed them as “sins” for embellishing his resume, telling the New York Post that “we do stupid things in life.”
Santos, like other new members of Congress, cannot be sworn in until there is a new president.
Santos’ financial disclosure forms show that he has amassed a rapid fortune despite his recent financial woes, and that he has spent large sums of campaign funds on travel and hotels.
Federal prosecutors in New York have begun looking into Santos’ background and his financial dealings, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.
The New York attorney general’s office said it was investigating allegations surrounding Santos, while local district attorneys’ offices in Queens and Long Island also said they were looking into whether Santos violated any laws.
Court records in Brazil, first uncovered by the New York Times, show Santos was the subject of a criminal charge for using two stolen checks in 2008, when he was 19, to buy items worth about $1,350 at one store. the city of Niteroi, including a pair of sneakers he gave to a friend.
In a signed confession, Santos admitted to stealing his former employer’s checkbook from his mother’s purse and making the purchases, according to court documents reviewed by The AP.
A judge accepted the charges against Santos in 2011, but subsequent summons for him to appear in person or present a written defense went unanswered, and with authorities repeatedly unable to find his whereabouts, the case was suspended in 2013. However, in a statement released Tuesday, Rio de Janeiro state prosecutors said that now that Santos’ whereabouts are known, they will ask for the case to be reopened. State courts are on recess through Friday.
