George Santos’ empire of lies crumbles

On Jan. 3, 2023, George Santos assumed the office of New York congressman. Santos is a conservative republican, but what made him stick out to voters was his unique backstory. He rallied support for his election campaign by telling crowds of people stories from his life, such as his Jewish ancestry, his mother who perished in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and founding a charity for animal rescues. However, claims about the validity of his stories were brought into question after Santos had already won his election.

Since Santos has taken office, his lies have completely caught up to him. Through an investigation into Santos’ life, journalists from the New York Times found out that he completely fabricated his business ventures, such as his supposed time at Goldman Sachs.

According to Santos’ own official campaign website, “George is an experienced businessman, financier and investor, with extensive work in capital introduction, real estate, capital markets, bio-tech and M&A.”

Most of these claims are very exaggerated, and far from the truth. He was caught in another lie when he was investigated for his story about his mother’s passing. While he claimed that she tragically died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the report did not list her as one of the victims. In response, the Santos campaign website updated to say, “She survived the tragic events on Sept. 11th, but she passed away a few years later when she lost her battle to cancer.” The website neglected to mention the fact that by “a few years,” they meant over 15. She died in 2016. In another report by the Jewish publication, The Forward, Santos did not have grandparents or close relatives that died in the Holocaust, contrary to what he had claimed.

The scandal has been a windfall for the newly sworn-in Republican controlled House of Representatives, which now has the power to investigate Biden. Roughly eight in ten Republicans say that President Biden handled the situation poorly while nearly three quarters of Democrats approve of it.

Biden is not alone in this scandal, as more classified documents were discovered at the home of former Vice President Mike Pence. This has led to much speculation over how common it is for former presidents and vice presidents to keep classified material after their time in office is over, as well as the legality of such actions. According to Time Magazine, “the problem is actually fairly common among those who work in the executive branch.” This raises the question of how many former cabinet members have classified documents in their possession, and whether this could lead to further problems.

Santos, in light of all his lies being unveiled, admitted to fabricating much of his story, but he is still adamant that his lies will not affect his congressional term. Many disagree, citing the public’s opinion as one of the driving factors in political engagement. Still, Santos remains undeterred, and continues without shame.

According to a recent poll, 74% of congress and 71% of Republicans believe it best for George Santos to step down. His treasurer has resigned and he has lost the support of many. He is currently still in office with no plans on leaving.