CNN –
GOP Rep.-elect George Santos is facing growing condemnation from House Democrats, some of whom have called on him to step down, and even from some corners of the GOP, with at least one of his fellow Republicans incoming asking him to face an ethics investigation. House GOP leadership, however, remains silent on revelations that the New York Republican lied about parts of his biography.
Santos has admitted to fabricating sections of his resume, including his previous work experience and education, and has apologized but says he intends to serve in Congress.
Democratic representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas and Ted Lieu of California were among those who asked Santos – after the congressman-elect had granted interviews in which he acknowledged “embellishing” his resume – to resign and, if he refuses, that the House expel him
Castro called for Santos to be investigated by authorities, arguing if the New York Republican is allowed to serve in Congress after lying about his resume: “There will be more people seeking office up and down the ballot box than they will believe who can completely fabricate credentials, personal characteristics, and accomplishments to win office.”
Democratic Rep.-elect Dan Goldman of New York, a former federal prosecutor, called Santos a “total fraud.” He criticized House Republicans, saying, “Congress also has an obligation to hold George Santos accountable, but it is painfully clear that we cannot trust House Republicans to open an investigation at the House Ethics Committee. Chamber”.
At least one incoming member of the GOP conference called for Santos to face scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee, an investigative group that is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats but has limited options. to distribute the repercussions.
“As a Navy man who campaigned to restore accountability and integrity to our government, I believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement is warranted ” GOP Rep.-elect Nick LaLota said in a statement that marks the harshest rebuke yet of a Republican coming to or currently serving in Congress.
“New Yorkers deserve the truth and House Republicans deserve a chance to govern without this distraction,” LaLota added.
Another incoming GOP lawmaker from New York, Rep.-elect Anthony D’Esposito, condemned Santos’ false statements and called on him “to follow a path of honesty,” though he stopped short of calling for an investigation .
“Long Islanders are deeply hurt and rightfully offended by the lies and misrepresentations made by Congressman-elect George Santos,” he said in a statement. “While Santos has taken a necessary first step to ‘come clean’ regarding his education, work experience and other matters, he must continue to follow a path of honesty.”
House Republican leadership is unlikely to refuse to seat Santos, who plans to be sworn in with the rest of the new members of Congress next Tuesday. The House has the power under the Constitution to expel any member with a two-thirds vote, but doing so is extremely rare, and only five lawmakers have been expelled in US history.
In addition to making a referral to the House Ethics Committee, other potential options for dealing with Santos include not giving him a committee assignment, which would be up to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
In the past, the California Republican has shown little appetite for punishing his own members for bad behavior, especially when it comes to actions before they were members of Congress. McCarthy has also declined to intervene when members are under investigation, arguing that he will let the probes unfold before determining how to proceed.
“This will not deter me from being an effective member of the United States Congress in the 118th session,” Santos told City & State in an interview published Monday night.
McCarthy’s office and the Republican National Congressional Committee did not respond to CNN’s request for comment Monday evening.
Republican condemnation, however, has come from outside Congress.
Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo, Jr., said Tuesday that Santos has “broken the public trust” and “has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the voters.”
“I am deeply disappointed by Mr. Santos and expected more than a blanket apology,” Cairo said in a statement. “The damage his lies have caused to many people, especially those affected by the Holocaust, is profound.”
CNN’s KFile reported that Santos’ claims that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium who changed their surname are contradicted by sources such as family trees compiled by genealogy websites, Jewish refugee records and interviews with multiple genealogists.
“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the New York Post on Monday. “I am Catholic. Since I learned that my mother’s family had a Jewish background, I said that I was “Jewish”.
But Santos described himself as a “proud American Jew” in a document shared with Jewish groups during the campaign, which was first reported by the Forward and confirmed by CNN.
When asked about that statement Tuesday night by former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who hosted Fox’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Santos said, “My heritage is Jewish. I always I identify as Jewish. I was raised a practicing Catholic.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition said Tuesday that the incoming congressman had “misrepresented his heritage” and “will not be welcome at any future RJC events.”
“We are very disappointed in Congressman-elect Santos,” RJC CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement. “He deceived us and misrepresented his heritage. In public comments and to us personally, he previously claimed to be Jewish. He has started his term in Congress on a very wrong note.”
Santos admitted Monday that he did not graduate from any college or university, though he previously claimed he had degrees from Baruch College and New York University.
She also admitted that she never worked directly for the financial firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as she has previously suggested, but claimed that she worked for them through her company, telling the New York Post that she was a ” bad choice of words.” say he worked for them.
The New York Times first revealed last week that Santos’ biography appeared to be partly fictional. CNN confirmed the details of that report, including his college education and work history.