Lower than every week into his tenure within the Home, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) already has laws named after him: The SANTOS Act, which punishes congressional candidates who willfully mislead voters about who they really are.
Two fellow New York lawmakers launched the invoice on Thursday, known as the Stopping One other Non-Truthful Officer Seeker Act. Underneath their invoice, a candidate for Congress who knowingly offers false details about their background could be punished with a $100,000 superb or one yr in jail. Or each.
The invoice from Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman come amid a gradual stream of bombshell revelations exhibiting that Santos lied about just about each element of his life story throughout his congressional marketing campaign.
He lied about the place he went to highschool, graduating from faculty, being a star volleyball participant at a school he by no means attended, working an actual property empire, having a high-profile profession on Wall Avenue, working a charity that saved hundreds of canine, and being a biracial descendent of Ukrainian Jews whose grandparents survived the Holocaust.
The New York Republican has additionally claimed that his mom was a finance govt who died because of the 9/11 assaults and that 4 of his workers died within the 2016 Pulse nightclub capturing. Nonetheless, no proof backs up both of those claims.
“I’m appalled on the degree to which George Santos has purposefully and regularly lied to the American public about each side of his skilled and private life,” Torres mentioned in a press release. “His deception is a stain on our Democratic course of and threatens to deprave the very establishment wherein I’m deeply humbled and proud to serve.”
Drew Angerer by way of Getty Pictures
Santos has additionally claimed to be married to a person and solid himself as the primary overtly homosexual non-incumbent Republican elected to Congress. However the Day by day Beast couldn’t discover a marriage report in New York, and when Santos arrived within the Home this month, he was not sporting a marriage ring. There may be proof he was beforehand married, although: to a girl in Queens, whom he divorced in 2019.
“The online of lies George Santos used to defraud his voters is a risk to our free and honest elections, and we now have an obligation to make sure nothing like this ever occurs once more,” Goldman mentioned in a press release. “His whole candidacy for Congress was predicated on a marketing campaign of disinformation designed to deceive the voters. Santos lied about this complete biography and resume, together with faith, household historical past, training, {and professional} expertise.”
He added: “I’m proud to hitch my fellow New York Congressman Ritchie Torres to introduce this vital piece of laws to safeguard the democratic course of.”
Right here’s a duplicate of the SANTOS Act. It’s not more likely to go anyplace, however it’s a hell of a place to begin for the brand new Congress.
Santos has advised so many lies that he’s at present being investigated by the Nassau County district lawyer, the New York State Legal professional Common’s workplace, and federal prosecutors within the Jap District of New York.
The nonprofit Marketing campaign Authorized Middle has additionally filed a criticism with the Federal Election Fee, claiming Santos illegally used marketing campaign funds for private issues like lease. And this week, Torres and Goldman filed a criticism with the Home Ethics Committee to research whether or not Santos has violated the federal ethics legislation.
A rising variety of members of Congress have known as on Santos to resign, as have state and native New York Republican leaders.
Santos advised reporters Thursday he has no plans to step down until “all 142,000” New Yorkers who elected him ask him to go.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has refused to sentence Santos and mentioned he plans to maneuver ahead with seating him on committees, which he doesn’t should do. Requested Wednesday if he deliberate to take any motion towards Santos given his fictional resume, McCarthy mentioned solely, “In America at present, you’re harmless till confirmed responsible.”
The fact is that McCarthy wants Santos to remain in workplace for his personal functions due to the Republicans’ razor-thin majority. McCarthy can solely afford to lose 4 GOP votes on something, and with out Santos seated, he would have a fair tighter margin to work with to go something.