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It’s a story that could weigh heavily on the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives. George Santos, one of the newly elected members, is at the center of a scandal. On Monday, December 26, he admitted that he had lied about his entire resume and his background.
George Santos finally confirmed the veracity of some information revealed by the US press in recent weeks. The Republican congressman elected in the November 2022 legislative elections admitted it on Monday, December 26: he did lie and falsified some elements of his resume.
In two separate interviews with the New York Post and WABC Radio, the New York congressman admitted to fabricating certain aspects of his personal and professional history. “I am not a criminal. Not here, not abroad, not in any jurisdiction in the world. I have not committed any crime,” he told WABC Radio. “I’m not going to apologize for this, but a lot of people exaggerate his resume, or alter it a bit. I’m not saying he’s not guilty of it,” he justified.
Lies about your career and qualifications
The elected official said he had risen on Wall Street to become a successful investor. He claimed that he had worked at Goldman Sachs and CitiGroup. But none of these companies have any record of their time there. This Monday, George Santos finally admitted that he never worked directly for these companies, but indirectly through his own company, Link Bridge. He apologized to the New York Post for his “poor choice of words” in implying that he had worked for these two companies.
There is no trace of him at the public university where he says he studied. And for good reason, he didn’t actually receive a degree from any institution of higher learning, he confessed to the American media. “I feel ashamed and sorry for embellishing my CV. I take the consequences… We all do stupid things in life.”
Beyond his resume, all the details of his biography, which embodied the American dream par excellence, are questioned. If he is indeed the son of Brazilian immigrants, there is no evidence of Jewish maternal grandparents, who supposedly fled persecution in the Ukraine.
“I have never claimed to be Jewish. I am Catholic. It was because my mother found out that my maternal family had a Jewish background when I myself said that I was Jewish,” he explained. However, George Santos did appear alongside the Jewish News Syndicate in November, where he said he was “very proud” of his “Jewish heritage.”
A “recurring joke” among Republicans
According to the New York Post and sources in the House Republican caucus, some Republican members were aware of the inconsistencies and shortcuts in their colleague’s resume, to the point that the topic became a “recurring joke.”
Despite the scandal, the resignation of George Santos is not being considered, as demanded by his Democratic opponents. The 34-year-old chosen one intends to serve in Congress starting January 3, 2023 and join the Republican majority in the House. “This controversy will not dissuade me from carrying out a good legislative process. I will be effective, I will be good,” he assured.
But he could be prosecuted if his equally dubious financial statement is found to be false. As for the Republican Party, for which these seats won in the progressive state of New York were a victory, it has so far remained silent.
