DOUGLASTON, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- A Nassau County legislator launched a “Where’s George?” campaign Friday to encourage residents to keep tabs on embattled Rep. George Santos.
Legislator Josh Lafazan debuted the campaign with Queens and Long Island residents Friday outside Santos’ future district office on Northern Boulevard in Douglaston.
“If Mr. Santos won’t come to the voters, then the voters will come to Mr. Santos,” Lafazan’s office said in an announcement for the event.
Santos has resisted calls from some local and federal GOP leaders to resign amid a storm of controversy over lies and embellishments he made about his professional career, education and personal life.
Lafazan has been calling on Santos to resign since the first report about Santos’ lies came out in December. He said wherever Santos goes, be it the “bagel shop” or the “supermarket,” “we will be there to hold you accountable.”
Lafazan said the “Where’s George” campaign encourages constituents who see Santos in the 3rd congressional district to post the sighting to social media along with a photo of him and the hashtag #WheresGeorge.
“George Santos went on far-right extremist Matt Gaetz’s podcast and he said, ‘I hope you have the strength that I have when they come for you,’” Lafazan said at Friday’s event, referring to the Republican congressman from Florida, who was a guest host when Santos appeared Thursday on the podcast of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
“What George Santos is doing is the opposite of strength,” Lafazan said. “He’s behaving like a petulant child. He’s showing weakness—not showing up for the voters who elected him, not showing up to do the job he got elected to do, but hiding and speaking only to those who give him safe comfort.”
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.
Santos admitted he “embellished” some of his background and resume, but he has said he didn’t do anything unethical or criminal. He has repeatedly vowed not to resign, and on Thursday he said the only way he’d step down is if the 142,000 voters who elected him ask him to.
On Wednesday, dozens of Long Island Republicans called for Santos to resign, including the chairman of the Nassau County GOP and U.S. Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, who is a freshman GOP congressman from Nassau County like Santos.
On Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, both of New York City, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate Santos, saying he failed to file “timely, accurate and complete” financial disclosure reports and the reports he did file are “sparse and perplexing.”
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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