Congressman George Santos is up to his old tricks again. Despite previously stepping down from his committee assignments, as we have covered previously, he refuses to resign amid much controversy.
Rep. Santos has admitted to lying to voters about his resume, his experience, and even his personal life. He lied that his mother survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has lied that he is Jewish.
Santos is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations about his 2022 midterm campaign, as well as accusations of sexual harassment, and a county prosecutor in New York is also investigating allegations against him.
A recent scandal regarding Santos has come to light involving allegations of criminal behavior. A former roommate of Santos, who was convicted of credit card fraud and deported to Brazil, testified that Santos was the ringleader of this credit card scheme. He admitted that he, Santos, and a third roommate would steal ATM card data and passwords from unsuspecting victims. Apparently, Santos was the mastermind behind the operation and knew how to put skimming devices and cameras on ATMs. Santos was questioned in the case but was never charged with any crime.
Brazilian law enforcement officers are also looking into fraud against Santos for allegedly using a stolen checkbook in 2008.
There are also questions about a $700,000 loan Santos made to his campaign for Congress as well as about his own reported wealth. Santos has bragged in the past about arranging deals for wealthy clients but now is under investigation by federal and New York State authorities for his role in negotiating the sale of a $19 million yacht from a rich campaign donor to another wealthy contributor. Santos could be in violation of federal election laws if the sale were somehow tied to campaign contributions.
Santos has used bragging stories similar to this one to explain his sudden and mysterious increase in income. Santos reported earning a $750,000 salary and $1 million in dividends during his most recent campaign for Congress, meanwhile claiming that his salary was $55,000 in 2020. Santos has gone from a three-times-evicted tenant to a wealthy businessperson in a very short period of time.
Many people, legislators and otherwise, think of Santos as a delusionist and a liar who is much too comfortable spreading misinformation. There have been many, many calls for him to step down, including a coalition of his Republican colleagues in Congress and the Nassau County Republican party.
When asked if he would be running for reelection, Santos responded, “maybe.” However, he has filed paperwork indicating that he intends to run for reelection in 2024. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said Congress will seek to remove Santos from office if he is found guilty by the Ethics Committee, which would require a 2/3 vote.
Here’s my opinion: Santos needs to resign. He has so many allegations against him of so many terrible things; he is not the right type of person to be representing our country. He must resign immediately and stay away from politics. In fact, stay away from all of us, please, and thank you, George!
