OYSTER BAY, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos, of New York, is set to be sworn in on Tuesday amid a storm of controversy over lies he made about his family history, resume and education, as well as investigations by federal and local prosecutors.
Santos, 34, will take the oath office in Washington, D.C., as soon as Tuesday, once the new speaker of the House is elected by lawmakers. He’ll represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and Nassau County.
A nameplate for Santos was already installed beside a door at his office on Capitol Hill. The embattled congressman-elect quickly walked away from reporters and didn’t answer any questions outside his office Tuesday morning.
He was then spotted sitting by himself on the Republican side of the House floor ahead of Tuesday's vote for House speaker.
Initially, the victory by Santos, an openly gay Republican who flipped a Long Island House seat held by Democrats for a decade, was seen as one of his party's bright spots in an otherwise underwhelming midterm election. But as reports began to emerge that he'd lied about his past, Santos turned into a distraction and embarrassment for the party as it prepares to take control of the House.
Democratic Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan protested with constituents Tuesday outside Santos’ campaign headquarters in Oyster Bay.
Lafazan has been calling on Santos to resign following a Dec. 19 report in the New York Times that led to multiplying allegations of lies by Santos in recent weeks.
“Despite the mountain of lies, he’s going to be sworn in as one of 435 members of the United States Congress,” Lafazan said.
Santos beat Democrat Robert Zimmerman by eight points in November. His victory was among several in New York that helped Republicans reclaim the House of Representatives, where they have a slim majority.
Santos’ swearing in comes as an old charge comes back to haunt him. The New York Times reported Monday that authorities in Brazil planned to reopen a case against Santos from 2018, when he was accused of stealing a checkbook, using a false name and buying $700 worth of clothing in the city of Niteroi, which is near Rio de Janeiro. At the time, he would have been 19.
The Times quoted local prosecutors as saying the case was dormant because Santos had never appeared in court. Santos has denied that he was being sought by authorities in South America.
Santos has said he lied about his resume but is not a criminal. “My sins are embellishing my resume,” he told the New York Post. Among the lies reported so far are that he graduated from Baruch College, worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and had grandparents who “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII.” He backtracked on claims that he is Jewish, saying he only said he was “Jew-ish.”
Santos has shown no indication that he intends to step down. Last week he tweeted about a visit to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and wrote that he looked forward “to working alongside” other lawmakers in Congress.
Several investigations into Santos are underway by the offices of the Nassau County District Attorney, Queens District Attorney and New York State Attorney General.
Federal prosecutors in New York have also started to examine Santos’ background and his financial dealings, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Santos' financial disclosure forms show that he accrued a quick fortune despite recent financial problems and that he spent large amounts of campaign funds on travel and hotels.
ABC News political director Rick Klein told 1010 WINS' Newsline With Brigitte Quinn on Tuesday that if there’s a House Ethics Committee investigation into Santos, the committee could vote to recommend he be expelled. An actual expulsion would take a vote by the full House.
“The Constitution allows the House to be the judge of its own members. It can’t really stop someone who’s duly elected and certified from joining the House, but it can kick someone out,” Klein said.
If the Ethics Committee were to come back with something substantial, or if investigators found wrongdoing by Santos, it would increase pressure on Republicans to force him out of office, which would lead to a special election for the seat, Klein said.
While some fellow Republicans have called for ethics investigations or for Santos to resign, GOP House leaders, including Kevin McCarthy, who is running to become the next House speaker, have notably remained silent.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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