In Washington, we are used to politicians who embellish their biography and juggle with half-truths. But Republican George Santos breaks all records. This representative of the State of New York in Congress, elected in November, is an inveterate mythomaniac. At the end of December, before the new Congress goes into parliamentary session, the New York Times reveals that the newly elected Republican lied about whole parts of his life. Every day, a new story is revealed. Contrary to his claims, George Santos was not educated at the Horace Mann School, a posh New York high school, or at New York University. He was never a volleyball star at Baruch College, for the simple reason that he never set foot there. He has never worked at Goldman Sachs or Citigroup either. He is not Jewish, and his grandparents did not flee Ukraine during World War II, but were born in sunny Brazil. His mother did not die in the World Trade Center bombing. And he does not manage a large real estate portfolio, which he claims to hold. On the contrary, he was evicted several times for failing to pay his rent.
That’s not all. His animal welfare organization, Friends of Pets United, is accused of stealing $3,000 raised online to fund surgery for a disabled veteran’s dog. On the other hand, Santos declares himself gay, but he was married and supports anti-LGBTQ policies. Finally, he would have participated in drag queens shows in Brazil under the name of Kitara Ravache. And a question arises: how to be sure that his name is really George Santos, because the chosen one is fond of pseudonyms… “It goes much further than what we normally see in Congress, is surprised Craig Volden, professor of political science at the University of Virginia. This combination of personality, ethical issues and possible breaches of the law is quite unique.”
Under pressure, the 34-year-old Republican, known for his sports jackets and crewneck sweaters – and for his nerve! – admits having “embellished” his CV. Which is not a crime in the United States. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of speech, including fabrications. And even if he is the subject of criminal proceedings, nothing says that he will lose his mandate. The expulsion of a member of the House of Representatives requires a two-thirds majority.
“His campaign finance sends many red flags,” notes Brendan Quinn, at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group that has requested an investigation from the Federal Election Commission. He appears to have violated campaign finance laws. in many ways.” In particular, he paid, out of his own money, $705,000 to his own campaign, an unexplained and rather curious sum for someone who, until then, was not rolling in gold. He also allegedly used funds for his personal expenses. Potentially illegal actions. One of its donors is the cousin of Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, sanctioned by the US government. As a result, the representative is the subject of several investigations. Brazilian authorities, meanwhile, have reopened a fraud case involving a stolen checkbook in 2008.
Republicans forced to keep Santos
Initially, Republicans rejoiced at his victory in a New York Democratic stronghold. But the Santos saga has a bad effect and tends to relegate their priorities, including an anti-Biden offensive, to the background. The New York elected official has become the laughingstock of comedians, who celebrate his exploits on the Moon, his Nobel Prize… “Just this year, he found a treatment for cancer and piloted a mission to Mars”, s’ amuses one of them.
Joseph Cairo, the boss of a local branch of the party in New York State, has called for his resignation. “He discredited the House of Representatives, and we don’t consider him one of our congressmen.“But he preaches in the desert. Because the Republicans are trapped. “Given their very small majority in the House, they are obliged to keep Santos, reluctantly”, continues Professor Volden. A new election would indeed risk lead to a Democrat’s victory. The House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, therefore continues to support him. He has even granted him a seat on two commissions, one on SMEs, the other on science. “The voters of his constituency elected him,” he pleads.In recent days, however, he announced that if George Santos had violated the law, “he would be removed from office”.
The Democrats see in the Santos affair an additional sign of the “trumpification” of the Republicans, who no longer play the democratic game and are ready to do anything to keep power. The party “has been taken hostage by arsonists determined to burn everything around them, affirms Ritchie Torres, Democratic Representative of New York. The presence of Santos in Congress is a danger to our democracy and our national security, a dishonor for this institution.”
In Washington, most of his colleagues beat him cold. Whatever, he has allied himself with the most extremist representatives of the Republican Party, with whom he shares the conviction that Donald Trump has won the presidential election of 2020. Since his election, he has participated in the podcast of Steve Bannon, the ex -Trump strategist, and at a conservative gala in December attended by white supremacists and conspiracy theorists. “I will NOT quit!” he tweeted recently. Given the slow pace of investigations, the congressional plotter is expected to retain his seat until the next election in 2024.