“We all do stupid things in life.” In two interviews granted this Monday to New York Post and to WABC Radio, George Santos admitted to lying about various aspects of his resume.
Elected last November to the House of Representatives in the state of New York, the Republican had so far remained silent, despite the damning accusations published by the New York Times.
“Everyone inflates their CV or changes it a bit,” he said.
Only his lawyer had asserted: “It is not surprising that (his client) has enemies in the New York Times who are trying to tarnish his good name with defamatory accusations”.
A “poor choice of words”
His profile was too good to be true. George Santos, 34, described himself as “the embodiment of the American dream” and built his candidacy on this idea. During his campaign, he extensively described his success story: that of a young man from a disadvantaged background who managed to become a wealthy and accomplished financier.
However, everything was wrong. The Republican first made his professional career on Wall Street. In the biography he had written for the campaign website of him there were mentions of work done at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
But neither company has any record of him. In fact, George Santos worked for an investment firm that has ties to these companies. With the New York Postapologized for his misleading “poor choice of words.”
When George Santos said he was making a fortune on Wall Street in 2012, he was actually working in a call center for Dish.
Fake diplomas and fake fortune
George Santos also confessed to lying about his college degree. the New York Times In fact, he had revealed that the Republican did not graduate from New York University and Baruch College, where, however, he claimed to have studied economics and finance.
“I’m embarrassed and sorry for embellishing my resume. I take the consequences… We all do stupid things in life,” he admitted.
But the lie does not stop there. She success story It would have allowed him to become rich and dedicate part of his fortune to various charities, including one for the protection of animals. So your association pet friends would have saved over 2,500 cats and dogs. However, according to New York Timesit raised funds from which those concerned never benefited.
George Santos now also admits to being a tenant in his house, despite the fact that he had declared being a billionaire and owning a real estate portfolio of thirteen properties.
“I’m not a criminal”
His family history did not escape his lies. “I never said I was Jewish. I am Catholic. It was because my mother found out that my maternal family had a Jewish background that I myself said I was Jewish,” the thirty-year-old defended on Monday.
He said his mother was born in Brazil to Jewish parents who fled persecution in the Ukraine to settle in Belgium before joining South America during World War II, fleeing the Holocaust. On the other hand, the US media had discovered that this exodus was fabricated and that Georges Santos’s grandparents were born in Brazil before 1939.
Also, the New York Times discovered court records in Brazil showing the elected official had been charged with fraud over a history of fraudulent checks. “I am not a criminal. Not here, not abroad, not in any jurisdiction in the world. I have not committed any crime”, replied the person concerned to WABC Radio.
resignation not expected
Despite these revelations, George Santos intends to sit in the House of Representatives in January. However, many Democrats are calling for his resignation, such as Robert Zimmerman, his competitor in the midterms, who is challenging him to represent himself against him.
“I campaigned on people’s issues, not my resume. I intend to keep my promises. I’m going to be good,” said the Republican.
For its part, the Republican Party does not plan to sanction him. For good reason, George Santos won a seat in November that appeared to have been taken over by the Democrats. Challenging this vote could hurt the acquired Republican majority in the House.
Source: BFM TV
