Congressman-elect George Santos set to be sworn in Tuesday
NEW YORK — Congressman-elect George Santos is predicted to be sworn into workplace Tuesday as he is underneath scrutiny for a collection of lies he is advised.
The Lengthy Island Republican has stated he plans to take the oath of workplace when the brand new Congress begins in Washington.
Santos has admitted he lied about his heritage, schooling and work expertise whereas operating for workplace.
He is additionally now dealing with a brand new investigation from Brazil regarding years-old prison prices. Authorities will deliver again fraud prices towards him linked to a case from 2008 involving a stolen checkbook.
Federal and state prosecutors have opened investigations into doubtlessly prison exercise.
“He could have filed false varieties and represented underneath oath that sure issues had been true which will or could not have been true,” stated David Birdsell, provost of Kean College.
Birdsell says Santos has a second vulnerability: a mortgage that he says he made to his marketing campaign.
“The $700,000 mortgage, no person is aware of the place it got here from, and if that seems to be cash from another person represented as his personal that may very well be a felony cost underneath election legislation and maybe different statutes as effectively,” he stated.
However to date, Santos has completed nothing that’s identified to be unlawful.
The morning after voters swept the little-known 34-year-old into workplace, the Congressman-elect gave the impression to be the preferred particular person within the room.
“Simply tells you that the standard of life that the persons are searching for on Lengthy Island is just not what was being delivered,” Santos stated on Nov. 9.
What was Santos to ship? Since that November day, the New York Occasions investigation uncovered giant swaths of the Santos biography as fabricated and his marketing campaign spending is underneath a swirling cloud of suspicion.
“This is a chance for all of us to look at a trainwreck in progress as a result of whereas he could get seated and will vote for Kevin McCarthy for speaker, I do not suppose it is going to be lengthy after that that he actually runs into hassle,” New York State Democratic Get together Chief Jay Jacobs stated.
“You may’t belief him. You may’t belief something he says,” one Lengthy Island resident stated.
“Liar is not any good, nothing work,” one other Lengthy Island resident stated.
Watch Jennifer McLogan’s report
CBS2’s Jennifer McLogan first met him in 2020 as he tried to unseat then-Congressman Tom Suozzi.
“In all probability creating the largest upset within the nation towards a really snug incumbent right here on Lengthy Island,” Santos stated on the time.
However Santos failed. Two years later, the GOP nominated him once more.
“I determine he bought caught doing what a number of different politicians are doing,” one Lengthy Island resident stated.
“There must be extra due diligence earlier than choosing these folks,” one other stated.
“To be honest, everyone has egg on their face,” Republican strategist and political advisor Michael Dawidziak stated.
He says the media didn’t dig deep, Republicans did not vet correctly and Democrats created the chaos over redistricting as a substitute of stable opposition analysis.
“Pigs get fed and hogs get slaughtered, and so they bought very ‘hoggy,'” Dawidziak stated.
Because the Occasions story, Santos admitted mendacity about having Jewish ancestry, working for Wall Road banks and acquiring a university diploma.
Democrats are anticipated to lodge a possible criticism with the Federal Election Fee and introduce a decision to expel Santos as soon as he is a sitting member of Congress.
It is unlikely that the Republicans can have the urge for food to take away a member of their very own get together given their slender majority, however some GOP members are talking out.
“That is troubling in so some ways. Definitely, he has lied repeatedly. He is definitely going to have to think about resigning,” Republican Texas Rep. Kevin Brady stated. “He can attempt to politically trip it out … or he can take the harder alternative, which is personal each lie that he is made, apologize to everybody and anybody.”
Native lawmakers ask why Santos’ internet price rose by thousands and thousands, seemingly in a single day.
“What’s Mr. Santos’ supply of his newfound wealth?” Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan stated.
Rep. Ritchie Torres on Twitter introduced he is introducing a invoice “to require candidates to reveal underneath oath their employment, instructional, & navy historical past so we will punish candidates who misinform voters about their {qualifications}.” He is calling it “the Cease One other Non-Truthful Workplace Seeker (SANTOS) ACT.”
Our repeated emails, telephone calls and texts to Santos went unanswered.
“I feel it will actually be the peak of hubris to take the oath,” Dawidziak stated.
CBS2’s political reporter Marcia Kramer will journey to Washington, D.C. for the swearing-in.
