NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Two Democratic congressmen from New York said Thursday they’re introducing legislation to stop “nontruthful office seekers,” naming the act after embattled Long Island Rep. George Santos.
Congressmen Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres said in a news release that they will introduce the “Stopping Another NonTruthful Office Seeker”—or “SANTOS”—Act in the 118th Congress.
The SANTOS Act would require that candidates for Congress file additional biographical information with the Federal Elections Commission, the lawmakers said.
Knowingly and willfully providing false information would be punishable by a $100,000 fine, one year in prison, or both.
“The web of lies George Santos used to defraud his voters is a threat to our free and fair elections, and we have an obligation to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,” Goldman, who represents parts of Manhattan, said in a statement.
Torres, who represents the South Bronx, said he was “appalled at the level to which George Santos has purposefully and continually lied to the American public about every facet of his professional and personal life.”
“His deception is a stain on our Democratic process and threatens to corrupt the very institution in which I am deeply humbled and proud to serve,” Torres said.
According to the congressmen, the SANTOS Act would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require any candidate for Congress to file additional information about their educational background, military service, and employment history.
The act would apply to federal elections held on or after the day in which it is signed into law, meaning it's unlikely to impact its namesake.
Goldman and Torres announced the legislation two days after they asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate Santos. In a letter Tuesday, the two reps said Santos also failed to file “timely, accurate and complete” financial disclosure reports and the reports he did file are “sparse and perplexing."
On Monday, the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center lodged a complaint with the Federal Election Commission and urged regulators to investigate Santos over the “mountain of lies” during his campaign.
The chaos and controversy surrounding Santos’ tenure continued to grow Wednesday as Long Island Republicans called on him to resign for the first time at a scathing press conference in which dozens of elected leaders called him a “fraud,” a “joke” and a “pathological liar” who is “not a normal person” and “needs help.”
Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo said Santos had “disgraced the House of Representatives,” while Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, also a Republican, said Santos “is a stain” on the chamber and on the 3rd congressional district he represents.
Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, another Republican newly elected to represent Long Island, called for Santos’ resignation, saying he was “rejecting” his colleague all together and wouldn’t “associate” with him.
Santos responded to the calls for him to step down, tweeting out he “will NOT” resign: “I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living.”
On Thursday, Santos told a swarm of reporters that he would resign if “142 people” requested it.
“If 142 people ask for me to resign, I’ll resign,” the congressman said as he hurried to an elevator.
The number appears to be a reference to the number of votes Santos got in the 2022 election against Democratic challenger Robert Zimmerman. Santos won 142,017 votes to Zimmerman’s 120,060, according to Ballotpedia.
Santos has all but admitted he lied about his background and resume but said he hasn’t done anything unethical or criminal. He was sworn in on Saturday to represent New York's 3rd congressional district, which includes parts of Nassau County and Queens.
Initially, the victory by Santos, the only openly gay Republican in Congress, was seen as a bright spot for the party in an otherwise underwhelming midterm election. But as reports began to emerge that Santos had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree, he turned into a distraction and an embarrassment to the party as it took control of the House.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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