A day after an explosive report questioned the veracity of Long Island Rep.-Elect George Santos’ resume and background, not only have calls mounted for an ethics committee investigations and the Republican to resign, but protesters showed up at his home in Whitestone, Queens to voice their anger.
The outcry stemmed from a New York Times report in which Citigroup and Baruch College, among other names on Santos’ resume, said they had no record of the 34-year-old, who campaigned as a successful Wall Street financier and concluded that “His resume may be largely fiction.”
Protesters visited his home on Tuesday, and politicians called for ethics committee investigations as the troubling questions over Santos’ job history, educational history, company history and even home address couldn’t immediately be verified and ricocheted through the media.
Long Island Legislator Josh Lafazan, who represents Nassau’s District 18, was among those who visited Santos’ address in Queens.
“Politicians have lied. No one is surprised. But the scale, the moral depravity, the sophistication of this web of lies is truly unprecedented. Not one allegation was refuted,” he said.
Taking recourse in what has by now become the standard operation procedure for politicians caught in misdeeds, Santos responded by calling the accusations the work of “enemies at the New York Times.”
Other Long Island leaders called for the House Ethics Committee to investigate Santos. Among them was Democrat Robert Zimmerman, who lost to Santos.
“Santos’ failure to answer any of the questions about these allegations demonstrates why he is unfit for public office and should resign. It demonstrates why there must be a House Ethics Committee, Federal Elections Commission, and U.S. Attorney investigation immediately,” Zimmerman said in a statement.
In addition to Monday’s report questioning Santos’ educational and career history, more questions emerged late Monday over other claims. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency ran a piece looking at Santos’ mother’s obituary and other family details to see if they could find evidence of claimed Jewish ancestry. It found nothing conclusive.
The Times report also detailed Santos’ criminal check fraud charges in Brazil, and looked at his financial disclosures that raised more questions. Santos reported a $750,000 salary and over $1 million worth of dividends from his firm, the Devolder Organization, which has no public websites or disclosed clients.
In addition to the dubious veracity of his resume, Santos has been heavily criticized for consorting with white supremacists and far-right extremists.
Nassau’s GOP leaders said Santos should have time to refute the report, while national and state GOP figures have so far remained quiet.
Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Cairo told Newsday, “I believe that George Santos deserves an opportunity to address the claims detailed in the article.”
