Newly Elected GOP Congressman Blames 'The Left' For Disturbing Revelations

Newly Elected GOP Congressman Blames 'The Left' For Disturbing Revelations

Rep. George Santos

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George Santos, the subject of a bombshell New York Times investigation that alleges he appears to have made up large parts of his resume, is responding to the paper of record’s report – through his attorney – in a statement that blames “the Left” for apparent false claims about his work history, colleges attended, and even the co-workers whom he claimed died during the Pulse nightclub hate crime mass shooting.

Santos, the first out gay Republican to be elected to Congress, is a MAGA supporter who was endorsed by House GOP Caucus chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

The Southern Poverty Law Center earlier this month reported that a “collection of radical right figures including white nationalists and ultranationalist European leaders gathered in Manhattan for the New York Young Republican Club’s (NYYRC) annual gala Saturday night, where that group’s president declared ‘total war’ on perceived enemies.”

Also in attendance? George Santos.

“Republican speakers repeatedly voiced an anti-democracy, authoritarian ideology, and extremists in the audience cheered wildly,” the SPLC reported. “White nationalists such as the Brimelows of VDARE and leaders from extreme far-right European parties like Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD), whom German officials placed under surveillance for their ties to extremism, and Austrian Freedom Party (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ), ate and drank in the same room as newly elected Republican congresspeople, such as Long Island and Queens-based George Santos, Georgia-based Mike Collins and Florida-based Cory Mills.”

In its damning and thorough report, The New York Times reveals that both Citigroup and Goldman Sachs “told The Times they had no record of [Santos] ever working there,” despite Santos’ claims he had been employed by both firms. Santos also claims he graduated from Baruch College in 2010, but officials “could find no record of anyone matching his name and date of birth graduating that year.”

Santos even claimed to have founded “an animal rescue charity that saved more than 2,500 dogs and cats,” but there is “little evidence that his animal rescue group, Friends of Pets United, was, as Mr. Santos claimed, a tax-exempt organization.”

Shockingly, even Santos' claim that four co-workers died at Pulse came up short. The Times reported its “review of news coverage and obituaries found that none of the 49 victims appear to have worked at the various firms named in his biography.”

The list of apparent discrepancies is much longer, including how Santos went from allegedly owing $12,000 in back rent payments that led to his eviction – twice – to self-funding his congressional campaign.

“Santos failed to disclose any assets or money in his bank accounts on his 2020 PFD, yet loaned his campaign more than $80,000, and has continued to self-fund his 2022 campaign – including a self loan of half a million dollars in the first quarter of 2022,” as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) warned last August.

Late Monday afternoon, Santos posted a statement from his attorney.

“George Santos represents the kind of progress that the Left is so threatened by – a gay, Latino, first generation American and Republican who won a Biden district in overwhelming fashion by showing everyday voters that there is a better option than the broken promises and failed policies of the Democratic Party,” said Joseph Murray, Esq., according to Santos’ tweet.

“After four years in the public eye, and on the verge of being sworn in as a member of the Republican led 118th Congress, the New York Times launches this shotgun blast of attacks. It is no surprise that Congressman-elect Santos has enemies at the New York Times who are attempting to smear his good name with these defamatory allegations. As Winston Churchill famously stated, ‘You have enemies? Good. It means that you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.'”

Journalist Ben Jacobs throws some irony into the pot. Churchill never said that.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

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