In just about a week, George Santos is set to be sworn in as one of New York's new Republican congressmen.
But the tidal wave of questions about his resume and personal history is concerning his soon-to-be constituents.
New York Rep.-Elect Santos Admits To Lying About Career, College
Santos admitted to lying about his college education, as well as his career. Explaining his fabrications, Santos says, "We do stupid things in life."
"Honesty is important for a leader," said New York resident Troy Collins.
Newsy has confirmed there is no record of Santos ever attending New York University, despite being listed as his alma mater on the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee website.
Newsy also confirmed that despite his resume, he never worked at Citigroup or Goldman Sachs.
The New York Times reports that there is no record of Santos graduating from Baruch College, as is listed on his campaign site.
But perhaps one of the most alarming allegations, is that Santos falsely campaigned on being a descendant of Holocaust refugees. His district has a large Jewish population.
"I am very proud of my grandparents' story. My grandfather fleeing Ukraine, fleeing Stalin's persecution, finding refuge, then fleeing Hitler, then going to Brazil — That's a story of perseverance," Santos said.
CNN reports there are no traces of Jewish heritage in Santos' family — all Catholic — all Brazilian-born.
"There's lot of people who that's disrespecting, who did go through that, whose parents, grandparents went through that. So, I mean, that's not something you should just say lightly," New York resident Ted Ahearn said.
To the people of #NY03 I have my story to tell and it will be told next week. I want to assure everyone that I will address your questions and that I remain committed to deliver the results I campaigned on; Public safety, Inflation, Education & more.
Happy Holidays to all!
— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) December 22, 2022
Voters in Santos' district told Newsy they don't necessarily care where Santos went to school or where he worked, as much as they care about the possibility that he lied.
They said if any of these allegations are true, the 34-year-old should not be sworn in.
"If you have to lie about it? Yes, you should not be elected. If you have to lie to get the election, you don't belong there," New York resident Barry Moss said.
"Because if he is a leader — like he's trying to be — and he's lying already, his intentions are not pure," Collins said.
While constituents say they're not surprised about these kinds of allegations from a politician, it makes them continue to lose faith in a system they feel is already broken.
"Because of things like this, we don't get to see what's going on behind the scenes," said Collins. "So, we have to have the honor system in place for the most part."
Santos did not respond to Newsy's request for an interview or comment but said in a tweet Thursday he would address the allegations this week.
