Freshman Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is a bundle of lies so pervasive that may not even be his real name.
There’s basically nothing he hasn’t lied about. He blows his fabrications off as “embellishment.” While a handful of Republicans have called on him to resign, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has cynically made excuses for him, because he needs his vote.
It’s highly probable Santos didn’t know when to stop. About two weeks ago, the New York Post — a conservative-leaning publication — reported (here) that Santos may have gotten at least part of his sudden riches by running a Ponzi scheme.
Meanwhile, Mother Jones reports (here) that many of his campaign donors “don’t seem to exist.” When they looked into his campaign donation reports, they found nonexistent addresses, people at addresses other than those listed in the reports, and reported donations from people who said they didn’t give money to his campaign. In short, his campaign contributions appear to be fabrications, too.
On Friday, January 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) told the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which has been investigating Santos’ campaign finances, to stand down. The DOJ also asked FEC to hand over its documentation. That, Huffington Post says (here), is a sure sign that Santos is under criminal investigation.
The question is, if he’s charged with crimes, will the GOP continue to defend him and keep him in Congress? This much can be safely concluded: They won’t give up a political advantage for the sake of law and order.
As a con man setting his sights on a political career, Santos was wise to run as a Republican, because the GOP is far more tolerant of lying and dishonesty than their Democratic counterparts. But that’s kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it?