Republican George Santos faces probe over ‘fabrications and inconsistencies’ during campaign

Republican congressman-elect George Santos, who admitted making up significant parts of his resume, is under criminal investigation in New York.

George Santos, a Republican elected to Congress in November, faces growing calls for his resignation after admitting that he made up large parts of his biography.

A prosecutor in New York is investigating Republican Rep.-elect George Santos after he admitted that he lied about significant parts of the biography he presented to voters.

“The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with congressman-elect Santos are nothing short of stunning,” said Anne Donnelly, the district attorney of Nassau County, N.Y. Mr. Santos was elected last month to represent part of Long Island.

Ms. Donnelly, a Republican, added, “No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.” Brendan Brosh, a spokesman for Ms. Donnelly, said: “We are looking into the matter.”

A representative for Mr. Santos didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday but the congressman-elect previously said he hasn’t committed any crimes and still intends to serve in Congress.

It wasn’t immediately clear what potential state crimes Mr. Santos might have committed while running for federal office. Mr. Brosh said he wouldn’t comment beyond the statement and didn’t respond to a question seeking more details on the probe.

Mr. Santos admitted in two separate interviews on Monday that he lied on the campaign trail about his education and work experience. He told the New York Post and radio station WABC that he didn’t graduate from Baruch College, as he had maintained. He also admitted that he never worked directly for Wall Street firms Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., as he had previously suggested on his campaign’s website.

The interviews came after a story in the New York Times earlier this month noted the discrepancies in his résumé.

George Santos, who had embraced both a Jewish and Catholic identity on the campaign trail, told reporters this week he never said he was Jewish. Picture: WADE VANDERVORT/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES/WSJ

Mr. Santos is likely to be seated as a member of Congress on Jan. 3 unless he decides to resign. The Supreme Court has said that the House can only prevent candidates from taking office if they violate the Constitution’s age, citizenship and state residency requirements. The House Republican leadership, which won a majority in the November elections, hasn’t weighed in on the matter.

Campaign finance forms show Mr. Santos amassing wealth in the period between his unsuccessful 2020 bid for Congress and his 2022 bid. Democrats say his finances should be scrutinized as well. Mr. Santos said in an interview with New York-based City & State that there was no criminal conduct related to his finances.

On Tuesday, the Republican Jewish Coalition said it wouldn’t invite Mr. Santos to any future events, citing what the group said were misrepresentations about his Jewish heritage. Mr. Santos referred to himself as a “proud American Jew” in a campaign document. In the Post and WABC interviews, Mr. Santos said that he was Catholic and that he never said he was Jewish. “Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish,’” the Post reported that he said.

The Wall Street Journal