NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into financial disclosures submitted by U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos, of New York, as questions swirl about how he got so much money so quickly.
Sources stressed to ABC News on Thursday that it's not currently a formal investigation and that prosecutors are only reviewing publicly available filings.
In 2020, when he first ran for Congress, Santos listed that he was earning $55,000 and had no assets. Two years later, he claimed assets of up to $11 million, according to ABC News.
Federal campaign records show that he loaned his campaign more than $700,000 between 2020 and 2022, but the source of that money has yet to be explained.
The Republican, who was elected to represent parts of Nassau County and Queens, has admitted to lying about having Jewish ancestry, a Wall Street pedigree from Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and a college degree from Baruch College, but he has yet to address other lingering questions — including the source of what appears to be a quickly amassed fortune despite recent financial problems, including evictions and owing thousands in back rent.
The federal scrutiny of Santos’ rags-to-riches story comes as Long Island prosecutors said Wednesday they were investigating him over lies about his heritage, education and professional resume as he campaigned for office.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, a Republican, said Wednesday that the fabrications and inconsistencies were “nothing short of stunning.”
“The residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress,” she said. “If a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.”
Santos’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News and the Associated Press on Wednesday.
The New York attorney general’s office has already said it’s looking into issues that have come to light.
A spokesperson for the Nassau County DA’s office, Brendan Brosh, said Wednesday: “We are looking into the matter.” The scope of the investigation was not immediately clear.
Republicans have castigated Santos but stopped short of asking him to step aside, while Democrats have called him a serial fabulist and demanded he voluntarily not take office.
Despite intensifying doubt about his fitness to hold federal office, Santos has shown no signs of stepping aside — even as he publicly admitted to a long list of lies.
On Wednesday, he suggested he does not plan to step aside in a Twitter post about a visit to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy earlier in the day.
“In Congress, I look forward to working alongside them to fully utilize this amazing resource we have in our own backyard in #NY03,” the tweet said.
Santos is scheduled to be sworn in next Tuesday, when the U.S. House reconvenes. If he assumes office, he could face investigations by the House Committee on Ethics and the Justice Department.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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