The ongoing saga of Long Island congressman George Santos produces new and surprising developments daily. This time we report that he seems to be hiding from his constituents in the 3rd Congressional District as he has failed to provide them with any means to contact him for help in Washington on his congressional website.
As a result, a new social media campaign called “Where’s George” will call attention to his accessibility to his constituents, organizers said.
On his U.S. House website, Santos lists his regional office as the same one former Rep. Tom Suozzi used in Douglaston, but there is no phone number listed. Visitors to the Northern Blvd. office didn’t see any activity or staff after Santos was sworn in on Jan. 7 until late Friday afternoon, when multiple outlets reported staffers opened the office. In short, George Santos is MIA.
A staffer for Santos told News 12 the office’s opening was delayed due to a water leak. However, other freshman representatives from Long Island listed district office phone numbers the week of the House speaker vote.
The “Where’s George” campaign will ask residents in Queens and Nassau County to post photos of Santos when they see the embattled 34-year-old Representative in the district, and add the hashtag #WheresGeorge.
“He continues to hide from his constituents and refuses to open a district office,” said Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, one of the campaign’s organizers, on Friday morning.
A bipartisan group called Concerned Citizens of NY-03 also appeared in front of the Douglaston office to call for Santos to step down so the district can have a special election.
At the rally, Aidan Davis of Plainview said, “Santos has been derelict in his duty to the citizens of 03.” Being unable to contact Santos for constituent services, he said, “shows we aren’t being represented.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he will direct residents to South Nassau Rep. Anthony D’Esposito’s office for constituent issues.
A poll this week from Public Policy Polling showed that 60 percent of respondents polled in the 3rd District think Santos should resign, including 34 percent who voted for him.
A spokesperson for Suozzi told Patch that their regional offices — Suozzi maintained a main office in a central location in his district in addition to the Douglaston office — were crucial for helping residents with issues like veteran benefits, social security, IRS and immigration issues.
“We literally received calls and drop-ins from constituents every day. Some cases are emergencies that needed to be dealt with in a day or two,” the spokesperson said.
Patch’s calls to Santos’ Washington, D.C. office number went to voicemail Friday, as they have since Santos arrived in Washington, D.C. in early January. Emails to Santos and his attorney, Joseph Murray, were not answered.
