Who is George Santos?

George Santos, a representative of New York’s 3rd congressional district, has recently come under fire by both sides of the political aisle after it was revealed that the personal history he has described was riddled with numerous lies and embellishments. From his Jewish heritage to his mother’s death, Santos has allegedly lied about many aspects of his life during his campaign. 

During his campaign in 2022, Santos seemed like a model candidate, boasting a seemingly flawless résumé. He is the child of two Brazilian immigrant parents and attended Baruch College, rising through the ranks of society to work for companies such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. 

However, soon after winning his bid for election, his story began to unravel. It all started on December 19th, 2022 when the New York Times published a piece claiming that Santos’ overly embellished or outright lied about many aspects of his history. They revealed that Santos had never graduated from Baruch College and had also never worked for Goldman Sachs or Citigroup. As more information emerged, it was revealed that there was no trace of his supposed Jewish heritage and that many other claims he made throughout his campaign were also lies. 

In response to these allegations, Santos admitted that many aspects of his story were untrue. As he told the New York Post, “My sins are embellishing my resume, I’m sorry.” This led many to call for his resignation. However, he still maintained that he would take office, telling the Post, “I am not a criminal… not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world.”

Santos is currently under investigation by both local and federal prosecutors, but it is still unknown whether any punishment will be levied against him. Even though there are calls for Santos’ resignation, they seem unlikely to amount to anything unless Santos himself has a sudden change of heart. Additionally, Santos won a Republican seat in the largely blue state of New York, meaning that Republicans are unlikely to risk having a special election in that area. Ultimately, when it comes time for Santos’ re-election, it will be up to the voters of the 3rd congressional district of New York to decide whether his actions are forgivable.