Former Congressman George Santos (R, NY) was expelled from the United States House of Representatives on Dec. 1 with a bipartisan 311-114 vote. But even before Santos entered Congress, he had his fair share of controversies, such as fabricating his resume and past; claiming that he went to Baruch College on a volleyball scholarship, that his mom is a 9/11 survivor, that he’s a Latino Jew, that his grandma survived the Holocaust, that he got an MBA from NYU, that he founded a non-profit organization, that he had worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and so much more. All of these statements have been proven false and have rightfully offended many minority communities. Once exposed, he recanted these lies, expressed his embarrassment, and confirmed that he wasn’t Jewish, but rather “Jew-Ish.” But this wasn’t the end of Santos’ controversies.
Santos was indicted on 13 criminal charges in May 2023, including wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds, identity theft, and making false statements to the House of Representatives. In October 2023, 10 additional counts of conspiracy were filed against Santos. These counts included identity theft and using campaign donors’ funds without their permission. The internet went crazy when it was revealed that some of these expenses were spent on botox, luxury Ferragamo shoes, gambling, and purchases on OnlyFans, a website where users can purchase pornography.
As the controversies and lies continue to spiral out of control, and Santos is now facing 23 federal indictment charges, the House Ethics Committee decided to file a report to expel him. Led by Representative Michael Gust (R, MS), the committee was able to finish the report just before Thanksgiving, and Santos was quickly expelled from the House of Representatives the following week.
Since the expulsion, the internet has been going nuts with how much keeps coming out. Pedro Vilavra, Santos’ ex-boyfriend, went on CNN to further expose the former congressman. He alleged that Santos pawned his phone and jewelry and would constantly lie about nonsensical things. Vilavra also knew that Santos was lying about most things in his life, such as working for Citigroup and getting an MBA from NYU, and that he knew that his mom didn’t survive 9/11, nor did grandmother survive the Holocaust. “Fame and power. That’s all he cares about,” Vilavra stated, after saying he wasn’t surprised Santos became a congressman. Vilavra also says he knew Santos as Anthony Devolder and that Santos never went by the name George Santos during their relationship. Santos also lied to Vilavra about his divorce, as he was married to a woman from 2012-2019, and the couple met in 2014. What I believe is also important to note is that Vilavra was 18 and Santos was 26 when their relationship started, and Vilavra moved in with Santos after graduating high school. Vilavra knew Santos was a pathological liar and ended the relationship.
Santos has now taken to Cameo to entertain Gen Z, and for a new side hustle, as he now can’t ride out the congressman salary, with his bio saying, “Former congressional ‘Icon’!” Santos seems to be marketing on all of the news that’s exposing his pathological lies and using his controversies as entertainment. Cameo users can purchase a 30 second personalized message from Santos for only $500 from the following categories: birthday, wedding speech, pep talk, roast, and advice. The videos Santos has made on Cameo are going viral on the internet, and even though the man is a fraud and fueled a multitude of GOP conspiracies during his time in Congress, I find these videos objectively hilarious. A personalized video circulating the internet shows Santos answering the question, “what’s your favorite Taylor Swift song?” Santos replies, “Favorite TS song is definitely going to be ‘Trouble’. I knew you were trouble when you walked in. That’s me. Bye!” Some other quotes from his Cameo videos that have been going viral include, “From rise to congressman to fallen diva, as they all say,” and “Let’s talk about botox for a second. You can tell, it works. I’m 35 [and] don’t look [like] it.” While we may find these Cameo videos entertaining, I recommend you don’t give your money to Santos. As we have learned, he doesn’t have the best track record with finances, and even though he was openly gay during his time in Congress, he spread harmful propaganda and greatly stigmatized the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Will the United States House of Representatives ever catch a break? From the scandal of Lauren Boebert being sexual and vaping in a public theater during a play, to Kevin McCarthy being jousted from his speaker of the house position from his own party to a government shutdown, the American people can’t seem to catch a break. The drama of Santos will eventually fade, but who knows what’s coming next.