The Republican Party of the United States is plagued by scandals. A new problem has come from where they didn’t expect. Elected from New York state to the House of Representatives, George Santos was not who he claimed to be. It turned out that the official biography of the 34-year-old Republican seriously contrasts with his real life. Mr. Santos provided false information about his education, career, and even nationality, which caused considerable anger among American Jews. Democrats are calling for him to be expelled from Congress and are asking Republican lawmakers to convict a colleague. They are not in a hurry yet.
Scandals around the Republican Party have recently become an integral part of US domestic politics. A significant portion of them are connected to former President Donald Trump and the party’s split into Trump supporters and moderate conservatives. It was a question of opening skirmishes between the leaders representing these two wings: the head of the Republican minority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, and his colleague in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, who could preside over the lower house of Congress in January.
And while the latest scandal has nothing to do with this systemic problem, it has presented the party with a difficult choice between morality and party solidarity. In mid-December, journalists The New York Times conducted an investigation, during which they discovered that 34-year-old George Santos, elected to the House of Representatives from the 3rd district of New York state, is not at all who he claims to be. It turns out that his resume, beautifully compiled for the election campaign, is full of fictional facts and events.
The newly minted deputy, who will take his seat on the Capitol on January 3, 2023, remained silent for some time, but was finally forced to speak.
Mr. Santos acknowledged that he had “beautified the bio” and assured that many people sin it in their resumes. “I am embarrassed and apologize for embellishing my resume. I admit it … We all do stupid things in life, ”the politician justified.
However, the word “embellished” does not quite accurately describe the situation. So, the politician claimed that he studied at Baruch College and interned at New York University, but neither there nor there confirmed this. “I didn’t graduate from any higher education institution,” George Santos finally admitted. He also never worked for Citigroup or Goldman Sachs, as stated in his biography of him. Only “I chose the words wrong”, the Republican justified himself. In fact, he had dealings with these companies when he worked for a company called Link Bridge.
To make matters worse, he has previously stated that he is a “proud American Jew.” During the electoral campaign, George Santos claimed to be of Jewish origin, and his maternal grandparents, once they fled Ukraine, settled in Belgium, from where they too were forced to emigrate during the Second World War.
Suspected of lying, Mr Santos, whose father is Brazilian, said: “I found out that my maternal family was of Jewish origin, that’s why I said I was ‘Jewish’. But I never claimed to be a Jew. I am catholic!”
Then it was the turn of the Jewish organizations with which George Santos collaborated and caused resentment. “He deceived us and distorted his Jewish origin. I’m disappointed!” Matt Brooks, chief executive officer of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said.
Meanwhile, the confrontation between the son of a Brazilian immigrant and his Democratic opponent Robert Zimmerman during the election race attracted media attention. The fact is that for the first time in the history of the United States, two openly gay candidates have clashed for a term. And Mr. Santos eventually became the first openly gay Republican to be elected to the House of Representatives. But this fact of his biography eventually became the subject of some doubt. According to the Daily Beast, George Santos was previously married to a woman whom he divorced in 2019.
“I am not a criminal! This will not prevent me from achieving success in the legislative process, ”the Republican tried to convince. However, the Democrats were adamant and called on George Santos to resign. Another option is to raise the question of depriving him of the his term by a congressional vote.The presence of such a lawmaker sends a dangerous signal that anyone “can completely fabricate personal data and accomplishments to get into office,” according to Texas House Democrat Joaquin Castro. of New York called Mr. Santos “an inveterate swindler” and questioned whether his election could be considered legitimate. “George, if your name is George, if you’re so sure the voters still trust you, resign and get forward again against me!” Robert Zimmerman called for a new vote.
“Santos has embarrassed you and the Republican community,” appealed the leader of the Republicans in the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, California Democratic Congressman Ted Lew.
Mr. McCarthy, despite the flaring scandal, however, is in no hurry to react. However, no one is in a particular hurry to defend George Santos. Only the scandalous Republican Marjorie Taylor Green defended her colleague. “The left doesn’t care about lies. The real reason they are attacking George Santos is because he is the first openly gay Republican to be elected and they hate him for it,” Green said.
At the same time, regionally, many Republicans, unlike their fellow elected officials in Washington, were quick to express their displeasure. As Santos’ New York GOP colleague Nick Lalota noted, “New Yorkers deserve the truth, and Republicans in the House of Representatives deserve the opportunity to run the country and not be sidetracked by it.” According to the politician, he has already heard from “countless Long Island residents how deeply disappointed they are” by the revealed facts about George Santos’ life.
