MINEOLA, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — Nassau County Republicans are criticizing Rep.-elect George Santos after he admitted on Monday that he had lied about his work history and college education, but they are stopping short of demanding he resign.
Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman told Budd Mishkin on 1010 WINS Newsline Tuesday that his reaction was "one of anger" because "the statements that he made were untrue" and "he waited a week to come clean."
Santos, 34, has been under fire since the New York Times raised questions last week about his life story that he had presented during his campaign.
Blakeman said he now has a feeling of "sadness" that "somebody who is talented and obviously had the ability to win an election would engage in this kind of activity."
"Santos has emotional issues that he needs to address," he said, adding that he is hoping for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
He didn't urge Santos to resign, instead saying that he would rather the "process unfold."
Blakeman added that he thinks there is a feeling "of anger, disappointment and sadness" among Long Island Republicans, but he thinks "everybody understands that there is a process."
"This is not a happy situation," the county executive said. "And it's one self-inflicted by Mr. Santos."
Joseph Cairo, the chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee, said in a statement to the Post that "Santos has broken the public trust by making serious misstatements regarding his background, experience and education, among other issues," but did not press for his resignation.
"He has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of voters and everyone who he represents in Congress," he added. "I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Santos, and I expected more than just a blanket apology."
On the other hand, Santos' Democratic rival in 2022, Robert Zimmerman, urged Santos to step down and run against him once more in a special election.
"George, if that’s even your real name, if you’re so convinced that #NY3 voters still trust you – resign & run against me again in a special election," Zimmerman said. "Face the voters with your real past & answer questions about your criminal history. Let the voters decide."
In a statement to 1010 WINS, Gabrielle Lipsky, Santos' press secretary, criticized the Times for having "shamefully launched this open season against the first openly gay person to be elected to Congress to draw a veil over Santos’s admirable qualifications."
"Santos is wholeheartedly ready to claim the decisive victory he earned in Congress and be the voice of New York's Third District," she added. "Santos is strong and he is very much ready to stand tall and do the peoples' work."
On Monday, Santos acknowledged: "I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume."
Santos had also said he had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, but neither company could find any records verifying that.
Santos told the Post he had "never worked directly" for either financial firm, saying he had used a "poor choice of words." He said that Link Bridge, an investment company where he was a vice president, did business with both.
Another news outlet, the Jewish American site The Forward, had questioned a claim on Santos' campaign website that his grandparents "fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII."
"I never claimed to be Jewish," Santos told the Post. "I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’"
Santos has repeatedly indicated he plans to be sworn in as part of the new U.S. Congress in January despite the growing controversy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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