Add a warmhearted GoFundMe to George Santos’ list of lies. Then add lying about his entire college career. The list of lies told by the representative from New York’s 3rd District keeps growing as his past continues to become increasingly bizarre.
Santos lied about his college education and professional experience. A New York Times investigation found that both Baruch College and New York University could not find records to verify his attendance claims. Since then, he has confirmed that he never attended Baruch College.
Citigroup and Goldman Sachs could not verify his employment. He admitted fabricating those points on his resume.
And the lies just get wilder.
Santos claimed to have been the “star” of the Baruch College volleyball team and received scholarship funds for his skills.
Claims that his mother was present at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks have also been disproven through immigration records. He has also made assertions that his grandparents fled the Holocaust, but immigration records point to that statement being false as well.
Perhaps the most unexpected revelation about Santos is that he is known to have performed drag when living in Rio. Brazilian drag queen Eula Rochard says she knew Santos as ‘Anthony’ or Kitara, his drag name. Rochard posted a picture of herself and who she says was Santos to Instagram. Santos has denied performing in drag but has conceded that he dressed in drag, saying he was “having fun at a festival.”
One of the most recent discoveries about Santos details his previously unreported involvement in a 2017 theft case that ties him to Amish dog breeders. A series of bad checks totaling over $15,000 made out for “puppies” were written in his name, and the case was dismissed when he maintained that his checkbook was stolen.
On top of his scandals, Santos has found himself in legal and financial investigations as more information comes to light. He is now subject to local, state, and federal investigations, including an FBI probe regarding his involvement in a charity scheme involving a disabled veteran’s service dog. Santos’ former aide, waiting to be added to the office payroll at the time, alleges that the congressman sexually harassed him on an office sofa. In addition to legal issues in the United States, Santos may face a fraud case in Brazil, which prosecutors intend to revive.
A politician surrounded by scandals is not out of the ordinary. Still, the sheer amount of drama Santos has produced is compelling, costing him allies in the GOP’s powerful places and the public eye. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) confirmed to the press that Congress would take action against Santos should anything come of the Ethics Committee’s probe into the representative.
On AU’s campus, Santos has little to no credibility left. “I don’t think he’ll ever be seen as legitimate,” said Thor Mortensen, a senior political science major, “There’s just too much he’s lied about.”
With a laundry list of ongoing probes, investigations, and a cloud of distrust following him, it’s unclear how Rep. Santos will fare throughout his freshman congressional term.