Tag: piers morgan
George Santos

Santos Was Caught On Tape Lying To Seattle Judge In 2017 Criminal Case

Serial fabulist Rep. George Santos (R-NY) reportedly lied to a Seattle judge about working at Goldman Sachs during a 2017 bail hearing for a "family friend" arrested over an ATM skimming spree, Politico reported Friday.

Santos appeared before King County Superior Court Judge Sean O'Donnell during the May 2017 arraignment of defendant Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha. Prosecutors had accused Trelha of "sophisticated" fraud for breaching almost 300 accounts in a three-day ATM skimming spree in Seattle, according to reporting by Politico and CBS News.

The future member of Congress uttered the falsehood in court after Trelha's public defender, Virginia Branham, introduced Santos — who was using his full name, George Anthony Devolder Santos, at the time — to O'Donnell, who immediately set about confirming his identity.

“So what do you do for work?” O'Donnell asked.

“I am an aspiring politician, and I work for Goldman Sachs,” Santos replied.

“You work for Goldman Sachs in New York?” O'Donnell probed, to which Santos responded, "Yup," one of many falsehoods the Long Island Republican peddled on his path to the People's House.

However, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs, Abbey Collins, later told the New York Times, for its investigation into Santos' background, that there were no records of the newly-elected congressman ever working for the Wall Street firm. Citigroup, another marquee financial titan Santos said had employed him, also told the Times that it had no records of Santos ever working there.

“How do you know this man?” the judge asked, referring to Trelha.

“We’re family friends. Our parents know each other from Brazil,” Santos said in reply — a claim that Trelha, who was deported to Brazil after seven months behind bars in the U.S. for fraud, refuted in a phone call with Politico.

"Trelha said Santos lied about their relationship, too. Trelha, through a translator, said he met Santos in the fall of 2016 on a Facebook group for Brazilians living in Orlando, Florida, and that his mother died in 2012," the publication noted in its report Friday.

Santos is facing federal, state, and international investigations into his deceptions, and the congressman has so far resisted bipartisan calls for his resignation.

Numerous reports have covered the New York Third congressional district representative's fabulism, comprising falsehoods about everything from his education, work, and religion to his athletic ability.

In a cringy interview with British TV host Piers Morgan last Monday, Santos admitted he had been "a terrible liar" about myriad facets of his biography, fueling his 2022 campaign with falsehoods.

Santos Confesses He's 'A Terrible Liar' -- But Just Keeps Lying (VIDEO)

Santos Confesses He's 'A Terrible Liar' -- But Just Keeps Lying (VIDEO)

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) admitted what we all already knew in a 40-minute interview released Monday night: He has “been a terrible liar.” Speaking to British television host Piers Morgan, the embattled lawmaker admitted that he embellished his resume and lied about his identity, including his educational and religious background.

“I was a Wall Street superstar, I was this, my family were this, and it was all untrue,” Morgan said, calling out Santos for his previous lies. “I don’t characterize these as mistakes. I think they’re part of your process of, cathartic process of redemption, if you’d like. It’s gotta start from ‘I’ve been a terrible liar,’ I mean, would you be prepared to say that?”

“Well, I’ve been a terrible liar on those subjects,” Santos said.

Controversy surrounded the lawmaker—who claims to be the first openly gay Republican to win a seat in the House of Representatives as a non-incumbent—when The New York Times published a story shortly after his win that questioned aspects of his resume, including his education and work experience.

Speaking about the lies he told, the freshman lawmaker claimed he didn’t mean to lead the public astray, but rather lied to be “accepted” by the local party.

“What I tried to convey to the American people is I made mistakes of allowing the pressures of what I thought needed to be done in order to—this, this wasn’t about tricking anybody, this wasn’t about, it’s—” Santos said.

When Morgan noted that it was about “tricking people,” Santos stuck to his claims.

“Let me finish,” he said. “It wasn’t about tricking the people. This was about getting accepted by the party here locally.”

Santos said that lying about his education was one of his "biggest regrets in life," but he did so because it was expected of him.

"Expectation on society, the pressure, couldn't afford it ...” He continued those lies when he decided to run for office: "Although I had built a very credible business career, but I just didn't have that part of my biography."

Santos admitted that he doesn’t have a master’s degree in business, and hasn’t ever worked “as a direct employee” at either Goldman Sachs or Citigroup. Speaking about his experience attending the Horace Mann private school, he said he had attended it for six months in 2004, but the school told CNN it had no records of Santos or any of his aliases.

His other lies included claiming his mother was a survivor of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that he was Jewish. However, when asked about those lies, he seemed dumbfounded.

Santos said he never said he was Jewish but instead had described himself as a "party-favorite joke" of "Jew-ish.”

To this Morgan read off a series of “direct quotes” in which Santos described himself as “‘Jewish,’ ‘half-Jewish,’ ‘proud American Jew,’ ‘a Latino Jew’ and a ‘non-observant Jew.'”

This prompted Santos to claim that he had always said this “as a party-favorite joke and it’s—I’ve done it on stages across—“

Morgan then asked what was funny about falsely claiming to be Jewish.

Speaking to his statement that his mother was in the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11, Santos maintained, "That's true."

Morgan noted that there is a “full record” of everyone who was there that day—but Santos’ mother, Fatima Devolder, wasn't listed.

Despite Santos saying he didn't want to speak further on the issue, Morgan pressed, citing her 2003 visa application which said: “she hadn’t been in the US since 1999.”

“So, all this points to her not being anywhere near the Twin Towers on Sept. 11. I do think it matters because it’s such an emotive part of modern American history. So I’ll simply ask you: Did your mother work there, or did you just get that wrong?” Morgan said.

Responding to this, Santos said: “No. My mother was — I was 13 years old [on] Sept. 11, 2001. I was in the United States when my mother was here because she had full custody of both her children. … I won't debate my mother's life as she's passed in [2016], and it's quite insensitive to try to rehash my mother's legacy," he continued. "She wasn't one to mislead me... I stay convinced that's the truth."

Since the lies have been revealed, several calls have been made for the 34-year-old to resign. During the interview, Morgan also questioned Santos on why he thought “no one would find out.”

The young lawmaker said: “Well, I’ll humor you this: I ran in 2020 for the same exact seat for Congress. And I got away with it then.”

When asked about an apology, Santos said: "I have looked inside a camera and said sorry ... If you can ask for forgiveness, I think that is the first step."

Despite widespread calls for him to step down, Santos plans to see out his two-year term in Congress and said he would likely run for reelection in 2024.

Outside of these lies, the New York lawmakeris also the subject of multiple congressional investigations, while facing an allegation of sexual misconduct from a former aide, BBC reported.

Watch the full segment below:

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

#EndorseThis: Meyers Puts Fox News And Congressional Republicans On Blast

Americans are finally getting the rest of the $2000 direct payments that Democrats promised after Congress passed President Biden's American Rescue Plan on Wednesday. But Fox News has more important concerns, centered around "Looney Toons and the royal family."For some reason Seth Meyers didn't find these news judgments by the Murdoch network very persuasive, so he quite hysterically put Fox News and their Republican allies on blast for 15 minutes -- meting out the rhetorical punishment they deserve.

Yes, help is on the way, and this is how to celebrate. Click and cackle!

Fox News Defends Piers Morgan and Pepe Le Pew as COVID Bill Passes: A Closer Lookwww.youtube.com

#EndorseThis: Colbert Roasts The Royals And Piers Morgan

#EndorseThis: Colbert Roasts The Royals And Piers Morgan

With four years of an imbecile in the Oval Office, late night hosts have had a plethora of material to keep viewers amused, however darkly. But Oprah Winfrey's interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry -- and its aftermath -- offer an entirely new comic opportunity.

All late night hosts have had their way with the Royal Family, but it's Stephen Colbert for the win. It's a joy to watch him dismantle the "royal rebuttal" and take down "Spotted Dick" Piers Morgan, who had an embarrassing tantrum and then quit Good Morning Britain.

Dressed in a ridiculous herald outfit, Colbert notes how "fans of the royal family dumped a crumpet in their knickers." He doesn't let up -- and you will laugh.

Palace Refutes Meghan And Harry's Claim Of Royal Racism, Piers Morgan Quits In A Fitwww.youtube.com