GREAT NECK, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — They're calling themselves Concerned Citizens of NY-03, and they say Republican Congressman George Santos has embarrassed the people of Long Island and Queens, and he must go.
"Where did his money come from?" one member of the group said. "How did a man with no discernible income ... how was he able to donate $70,000 to his own campaign?"
Democratic Bronx Rep. Richie Torres stood with the nonpartisan group in Great Neck on Tuesday.
"Either Mr. Santos resigns under the weight of scrutiny or he resigns as part of a plea bargain with the [U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York]," he said.
The U.S. Attorney's investigation is likely "to move the quickest," according to Torres, who along with New York City Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee last week.
Torres announced on Tuesday that he had written to the head of the Federal Election Commission Allen Dickerson asking for an investigation into the relationship between Santos' campaign and Redstone Strategies, an unregistered fundraising group whose practices on behalf of his campaign may have led to a number of violations of the Federal Election Campaigns Act.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday that Santos, who remains under local, state, federal and international investigation, "will get seated on committees," despite the fact that McCarthy's staff had noted that a Santos staffer had been impersonating McCarthy's chief of staff and that the freshman lawmaker then fired the staffer when an objection was raised.
A Change.org campaign for Santos to step down now has nearly 50,000 signatures, while a recent poll by Public Policy Polling found 60% of voters in Santos’ district want him to resign, including 34% of people who voted for him.
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.
A spokesperson did not return WCBS 880's request for comment, but Santos has said that he has done nothing criminal or unethical.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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