NEW YORK – Criticizing the coverage of his controversies as “media hogwash,” Rep. George Santos defiantly insisted Thursday that he had no plans to resign from Congress.
“I came here to serve the people, not the politicians or party leaders, and I’m going to do just that,” Santos said in an interview with Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz on Steve’s “War Room.” Bannon.
“I’ve worked all my life, I’ve lived an honest life, I’ve never been accused or sued for wrongdoing,” Santos said, refusing to specifically answer Gaetz’s repeated questions about the source of the $700,000 loaned to his campaign.
His comments come a day after virtually the entire New York Republican leadership called on Santos to resign from Congress, saying he was “disgraced” and needed to step aside.
The call Wednesday from his own party leaders was the strongest yet against the first-time politician, who represents New York’s 3rd District, which comprises parts of Queens and much of Nassau County. As of Thursday morning, six of the 10 other Republican members of the New York congressional delegation have called for Santos to leave.
“George Santos’ campaign last year was a campaign of deceit, lies and fabrication,” said Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo, Jr., as he was joined by approximately three dozen Republican elected officials, who described him as a stain on the party and Congress.
“He misled voters in the 3rd Congressional District. He misled members of the Nassau County Republican Committee, elected officials, his colleagues, candidates, opponents, and even some of the media.”
In recent weeks, Santos has admitted to lying about his education, work experience and investments, and faces a growing list of alleged fabrications and financial misconduct that he has yet to acknowledge or refute.
“His lies were not just hoaxes,” Cairo continued. “It dishonored the House of Representatives. In particular, it went overboard in its fabrications, many groups were hurt, specifically, I look at the families that were impacted by the horrors of the Holocaust.” (Santos allegedly also lied about his grandparents surviving the Holocaust.)
Cairo went on to call for Santos’ “immediate resignation” and said the congressman is not welcome at the Republican Party’s Nassau County headquarters.
“He has no place on the Nassau County Republican Committee, nor should he serve in public service, nor as an elected official,” Cairo said. “He is not welcome here at Republican headquarters, for meetings or any other event…we do not consider him one of our congressmen. Today, on behalf of the Nassau County Republican Committee, I call for his immediate resignation.”
Republican donors say they were “tricked” by Santos. While Democrats have already filed ethics complaints against him, a campaign finance watchdog group has also filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission over fundraising irregularities.
The controversy continues.
“I just can’t see any way that I or my colleagues can deal with someone who appears to be a pathological liar,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said.
North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena is also a Republican who feels Santos had misled her.
“The lies that George Santos told are too numerous to count,” DeSena said. “He lied to me personally while seeking my endorsement. Although I am offended and disgusted by his deception, my real concern is for the residents of the 3rd Congressional District. He has betrayed the public trust.”
Hempstead City Supervisor Donald X. Clavin, Jr. called Santos “a joke” who has united the country in its opposition to him.
“It is a national joke. It’s an international joke, but this joke has to go,” Clavin said.
North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena apparently took pity on Santos in her criticism, saying he “needs help. This is not a normal person.”
Following the Nassau County Republican leaders’ press conference, the New York State Conservative Party also issued a statement calling for Santos’ resignation.
“The New York State Conservative Party joins the Nassau County Republicans in calling for the resignation of newly elected Representative George Santos. Mr. Santos’ extensive use of falsehoods as a candidate morally disqualifies him from holding public office and exposes him to potential legal action by seriously compromising his ability to represent his constituents,” the statement read in part.
A study update.
Rep. Nick Langworthy, chairman of the state Republican Party, also issued a statement calling on Santos to leave.
Earlier Wednesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave a resounding “no” when asked by reporters if Santos would be assigned to any of the key House committees.
“He’s going to have to build trust here and he’s going to have the opportunity to try to do that,” McCarthy said when asked if he trusted Santos.
The new speaker of the House of Representatives said he has no plans to take action against Santos and said it is up to the voters, not him, to decide Santos’ fate.
Meanwhile, minutes after Nassau County Republican leaders called for his resignation, Santos told a group of reporters in Washington, DC that he will not resign. In what has become a daily scene, Santos was cornered in an elevator when he told reporters that he would not give up his seat.
“I won’t. I won’t,” he said.
Santos then took to Twitter to double down on his stance.
“I was elected to serve the people of #NY03, not the party and politicians, I remain committed to doing so and am sorry to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to achieve results that keep our community safe and reduce the cost of life,” Santos tweeted. “I will NOT quit!”
In a subsequent tweet, Santos apparently taunted CNN’s senior political commentator and former congressman, Adam Kinzinger, into appearing on the channel and “crying about it” when Kinzinger told him to “resign now.”
Santos has called the fabrications in his official campaign biography simply embellishments on his resume. But questions about the veracity of him have only skyrocketed. The freshman congressman’s falsehoods include not only details of his education and employment history, but also his criminal history in Brazil, his nonprofit charity and being Jewish.
Cairo was asked why the party did not verify Santos before endorsing him. He said he took Santos at his word.
“We are not going to change our process. I am ashamed to believe people,” Cairo said, offering a mea culpa for the whole thing and admitting that his party did not properly vetted the candidate whom he now admits he did not know very well. “I’m disappointed and we learned from our experience and our vetting process has to go much deeper.”
Meanwhile, for their part, House Republicans largely echoed McCarthy, emphasizing that one is “innocent until proven guilty.”
“What are the charges against you? Are there any charges against you? You know, in America today, you’re innocent until proven guilty. So just because someone doesn’t like the press you have , I am not the one who can overstate what the voters are saying,” McCarthy said.
Asked what he thought of some of the allegations Santos made about lies on his resume, McCarthy said “so did a lot of people here in the Senate and others.”
In addition, Rep. Barry Loudermilk told reporters that he expects Santos to get committee assignments.
“I would imagine he’s going to get committee assignments just like anyone else, like if you’re accused of something until you’re found guilty or you know you’re proven guilty, then I think we stick to the Constitution,” Loudermilk said. .
If Santos resignedGovernor Kathy Hochul would have 10 days to call a special election to replace him, which would have to be held 70 to 80 days from the date of that proclamation.
