What’s Going on With George Santos?

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In a world where you can instantly look someone up online and find out nearly everything about their lives, the George Santos story seems even more bizarre.

Politicians aren’t always known for being entirely truthful, but in the case of George Santos, it seems like he’s fabricated an entire existence, dominating news headlines. So, what’s happening?

Who Is George Santos?

George Santos is a U.S. Representative-elect from New York. He’s currently under investigation by Long Island prosecutors after it was revealed that he potentially lied about his professional and educational history and heritage during his campaign.

Santos was elected in 2022 to represent the 3^rd congressional district in New York, covering part of north Long Island and northeast Queens. Santos ran for the seat two years prior and didn’t win.

Originally, questions about the background of Santos came up in September 2022. The North Shore Leader, a small Long Island publication, questioned his finances, but it wasn’t until after the 2022 election that any other media outlets started to report on it.

Six weeks after Santos won the election, many news outlets started reporting that his biography appeared to be largely fabricated. Now, it’s become a national news story.

The Claims

Santos made a number of claims throughout his life and into his campaign. He told coworkers dating at least as far back as 2012 that he came from a wealthy family, saying he and his family owned 13 rental properties in New York. That was something repeated throughout his campaign, but there are no properties listed on his financial disclosure records for his campaign or in public records. Recently, Santos admitted these claims were untrue.

Santos also described himself as a Wall Street professional, claiming to have worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, but neither company has a record of him being employed.

On a podcast in 2022, Santos said he attended a SALT private equity conference as a panelist while employed at Goldman, but there is no record of him ever having even attended that event.

In November 2022, Santos, who is the first openly gay Republican non-imcumbent elected to Congress, said that he lost four of his employees at the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. There doesn’t appear to be a connection with any of the 49 victims to companies in Santos’s biography. In a more recent interview, Santos changed his story, saying that he lost four people who were going to work for the company he planned to start in Orlando.

Santos admitted to lying about having Jewish ancestry as well.

Despite claiming to be wealthy, Santos has a number of financial problems, which include owing thousands in unpaid rent and evictions.

Santos’s Future

The claims and extent of the apparent discrepancies have shocked many, including voters. Santos is set to be sworn in at the start of January when the House reconvenes. If he does take office, which right now he appears poised to do, he may face investigations by the Justice Department and the House Committee on Ethics.

An investigative report has found that Santos was the subject of a Brazilian criminal investigation in 2008 over allegations he was using stolen checks.

Santos has apologized for the embellishments and fabrications on his resume and has also admitted to lying about working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, as well as getting a degree in economics and finance from Baruch College.

As far as what will happen with his political career, that’s yet to be seen, with many calling on him to step down from the position, including some Republicans.

It’s important to keep in mind that not all information available online is accurate or up to date, so it’s always a good idea to verify any information you find with the person directly.