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George Santos – news: Secret tapes catch congressman admitting he ‘lied to everyone’ and giving Botox advice

Bombshell secret tapes have caught embattled GOP congressman George Santos admitting that he “lied to everyone”.

In the audio, obtained and reported on Thursday evening by Talking Points Memo, Mr Santos is heard telling a prospective staffer that he had lied, including to his chief of staff Charley Lovett.

“I’ve obviously f***** up and lied to him, like I lied to everyone else,” he says in the audio.

“And he still forgave me and gave me a second shot, unlike some other people.”

In the recording, Mr Santos is also heard offering advice about Botox, saying: “Stop going to Colombia for your diluted Botox.”

The candid insight into the goings-on inside Mr Santos’ office comes as he stood down from his committee assignments this week and scrutiny continues to mount over his campaign finances.

The FBI is now said to be investigating a claim he stole money from a GoFundMe set up to pay for surgery for a disabled veteran’s dying dog.

Key points

  • George Santos admits he ‘obviously f***** up’

  • Santos treasurer quits campaign – days after he falsely named a new one

  • FEC sends letter to Santos campaign requesting answers after treasurer change

  • George Santos stands down from House committees

FBI interviews veteran who says Santos took money raised for dying dog

09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The FBI is investigating claims that Representative George Santos raised money to pay for surgery for a Navy veteran’s dying dog before allegedly disappearing with the money.

Richard Osthoff says that he was contacted by two federal agents on Wednesday on behalf of the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, according to Politico.

He told the outlet that he gave the agents text messages from Mr Santos, whom he claims raised $3,000 to save pit bull mix Sapphire but never handed it over.

Graeme Massie has more.

FBI interviews veteran who says George Santos took money intended for dying dog

All the times comedians impersonated George Santos

08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Comedians have been giving George Santos a bit of roasting since the congressman was caught telling lies about his life.

Harvey Guillen and Nelson Franklin are among those who have impersonated the New York Republican.

This video gives a glimpse of all of the times comedians mocked the politician on their late-night slots.

Mr Santos responded to the fun-poking on Twitter, saying: “I have now been enshrined in late-night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far.”

Watch here.

All the times comedians impersonated George Santos

George Santos ridiculed for speech about Jewish community

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

George Santos was ridiculed on social media following his House floor speech about his support for the Jewish community.

The congressman has been accused of lying about being a descended of Holocaust survivors.

“Today I rise to congratulate my colleagues on voting to remove rep Ilhan Omar from the foreign affairs committee,” Mr Santos said.

“The passage of HR 76 sends a strong message that we support Israel and the Jewish community,” he continued.

Following his speech, people tore into him on Twitter.“The nerve. The pure, unadulterated nerve would be admirable if it weren’t so aggravating,” wrote user Danny O’Neil.

“You lied that you were Jewish, used a fake Jewish-sounding last name and said, ‘Oh well, the Jews will give more if you’re a Jew,’ and made up that your family survived the Holocaust, you ghoul.”

George Santos’ campaign spent more than $26,000 at Italian restaurant

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Representative George Santos’ campaign has provided no shortage of mysteries for political reporters and observers to try to unravel.

One of the latest, from his campaign finance disclosures, is exactly how Mr Santos’s team managed to spend more than $26,000 at a single Italian restaurant since his first run for Congress in 2020.

The campaign finance disclosures released this week showed Santos’s campaign spent $26,032.06 over the last three-plus years at Il Bacco Ristorante Italiano in Little Neck, New York – an Italian spot located in Queens.

Abe Asher reports.

George Santos’ campaign spent more than $26,000 at an Italian restaurant in Queens

Santos and other GOP politicians criticised for wearing assault weapon pins

05:33 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

House Democrats criticised freshman Republicans, including embattled Representative George Santos, for wearing assault rifle pins on Capitol Hill.

Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez of California tweeted out photos of Representatives Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Mr Santos of New York wearing lapel pins in the shape of an assault weapon.

“Where are these assault weapon pins coming from? Who is passing these out?” he tweeted.

Eric Garcia has more.

Democrats say GOP reps wearing assault weapon pins ‘isn’t the flex you think it is’

George Santos’s ‘embarrassing’ karaoke account has been revealed

03:53 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

What appears the karaoke account of scandal-ridden New York Republican Representative George Santos has been unearthed on the singing app Smule.

The account is registered under the name “georgedevolder”, according to Rolling Stone. Mr Santos’s full name is George Anthony Devolder Santos.

The profile picture shows Mr Santos wearing a bowtie and doing the “duck face,” the magazine notes.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

‘Gift that keeps on giving’: George Santos’ karaoke account has been revealed

Santos admits he “obviously f***** up,” gives advice on botox in recorded conversation with prospective staffer

00:57 , Abe Asher

Rep George Santos says “I’ve obviously f***** up and lied to him, like I lied to everyone else,” in a recording reportedly made without his permission and obtained and reported by the progressive news site Talking Points Memo, shedding light on the embattled Congressman’s state of mind as investigations into his finances and past continues.

The recording of Mr Santos was reportedly made inside his office by a prospective staffer and journalist named Derek Myers who Mr Santos ultimately decided not to hire due to concerns over legal charges Mr Myers is facing in Ohio over his decision to publish recorded court testimony.

In the recording reported on in Talking Points Memo, Mr Santos admits that he lied to his chief of staff while also commenting on Mr Myers’ decision to get botox in Colombia and reflecting on the qualities of Brazilian candy.

He does not say outright that his office will not be hiring Mr Myers in the recording, but does say that “it’s bad enough that I have to answer for myself these days, I don’t want to have to answer, prospectively, for you.”

Santos expects secret recordings taped by prospective staffer will be published this evening

Thursday 2 February 2023 23:57 , Abe Asher

Rep George Santos already had a raft of issues to deal with, and now he has another one: the forthcoming release of secret recordings made in his office by a prosepctive staffer.

Mr Santos told Semafor that he believes the recordings made by the prospective staffer, Derek Myers, will be published this evening in Talking Points Memo after the progressive news site contacted his office requesting comment for a story based on a conversation he had with Mr Myers.

The congressman told Semafor that his office was preparing to hire Mr Myers but was given pause when it learned that Mr Myers is facing wiretapping charges in Ohio for publishing recorded court testimony in his former role as a journalist. Mr Santos said he asked Mr Myers to explain the situation, and ultimately decided not to hire him based on that conversation.

“I was so loyal to George, I defended him everywhere I went and then he just throws me away like I’m replaceable because I am,” Mr Myers wrote to Mr Santos’ chief of staff in a message obtained by Semafor. “I want a second chance. This was never about the money. This was about purpose and serving the citizens. You gave George a second chance. Please let me at least have a FIRST chance.”

Democratic rep asks SEC to investigate George Santos

Thursday 2 February 2023 16:00 , David Taintor

New York Rep Ritchie Torres has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate embattled congressman Ritchie Torres for allegedly violating securities laws.

“Mr. Santos illegally operated as a broker without a license, raising funds from unsuspecting investors for Harbor City Capitol, a 17 million dollar Ponzi Scheme,” Mr Torres said.

Santos’ campaign spent more than $26,000 at an Italian restaurant in Queens

Thursday 2 February 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp

Scrutiny continues to mount over the congressman’s campaign finances, with an FEC filing revealing he spent more than $26,000 at an Italian restaurant in Queens, New York City.

Updated financial records show that his campaign spent $26,032.06 at Il Bacco Ristorante Italiano during his run for Congress.

This would be equivalent to buying 1,131 orders of the restaurant’s $23 rigatoni bolognese or 1,735 $15 Margherita pizzas, revealed Business Insider.

George Santos claimed Epstein may still be alive in 2020 interview

Thursday 2 February 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Embattled GOP congressman George Santos claimed in August 2020 that Jeffrey Epstein “could still be alive” – one year after the paedophile killed himself in his Manhattan jail cell.

In a newly-resurfaced interview, Mr Santos – who has already been caught out over several lies about his past, background and family – claimed that he met Epstein a few times and pushed the conspiracy theory that he was “murdered” in prison.

Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking children. His death was ruled suicide.

Mr Santos then backtracked over his death altogether, claiming he may actually still be alive.

“I wouldn’t put it past me that he’s still walking around us and we’re all like, ‘Oh my god, the guy is alive,’ and we can’t tell,” he said. “You know what, it’s 2020, anything can happen.”

George Santos claimed paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is ‘still alive’ in 2020 interview

George Santos treasurer quits campaign

Thursday 2 February 2023 12:20 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP congressman George Santos is facing yet another issue after his longtime treasurer jumped ship amid suspected probes by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Justice Department (DOJ) into his campaign finances.

Nancy Marks officially filed her resignation with the FEC on Tuesday from the serial liar’s campaign and four other political committees affiliated with him.

“At the request of the FEC, I am submitting this Form 99 stating that I have resigned as treasurer for the Devolder-Santos For Congress Committee as of January 25, 2023,” she wrote.

Her resignation came one week after Mr Santos’ campaign filed documents naming replacement treasurer Thomas Datwyler – only for Mr Datwyler to reveal that he had turned down the job and the congressman had listed him without his authorisation.

This prompted the FEC to issue a legal warning to Mr Santos’ campaign about “knowingly and willfully making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation to a federal government agency”.

The DOJ then signalled it had launched its own criminal probe into Mr Santos’ campaign finances, by asking the FEC to postpone any of its own enforcement while it conducts a parallel investigation.

Alongside the legal turmoil, Mr Santos stood down from his committee assignments on Tuesday – just days after they were assigned – and continues to come under scrutiny for a plethora of lies.

Keep up with George Santos’ growing list of lies

Thursday 2 February 2023 11:45 , Rachel Sharp

It can be difficult keeping up with the list of fictions that George Santos has been accused of telling, admitted telling, or merely been caught spinning red-handed following a contradictory statement.

But, do not fret: The Independent is here, and we’re keeping track of the whole list of lies even as it continues to grow — both in number and in the sheer scale of the humiliation that it presents for not just Mr Santos, who remains adamant that he will serve two years in office as representative for New York’s third district, but for the Republican House caucus as a whole.

Every lie George Santos has been accused of making

FBI interviews veteran who says George Santos took money intended for dying dog

Thursday 2 February 2023 10:58 , Rachel Sharp

The FBI is investigating claims that Rep George Santos raised money to pay for surgery for a Navy veteran’s dying dog before allegedly disappearing with the money.

Richard Osthoff says that he was contacted by two federal agents on Wednesday on behalf of the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, according to POLITICO.

He told the outlet that he gave the agents text messages from Mr Santos, whom he claims raised $3,000 to save pit bull mix Sapphire but never handed it over.

Read the full story:

FBI interviews veteran who says George Santos took money intended for dying dog

George Santos lashes out at the media

Thursday 2 February 2023 09:50 , John Bowden

George Santos fumed on Twitter that the media is trying to “smear” him as he hit out at what he claimed to be “fake posts” and “clown” interviews.

“From interviewing clowns, to creating fake “posts” the media continues to down spiral as their attempt to smear me fails. I am getting the job I signed up for done, while you all spiral out of control,” he tweeted late on Thursday.

He did not detail what he was referring to but his comments came as a new report from Patch accused him of making a vile joke about Hitler and killing Jews and Black people.

In a 2011 comment on Facebook, obtained by Patch, Mr Santos allegedly wrote: “hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh hiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler) lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! the jews and black mostly lolllolol!!! Dum.”

Mr Santos’ former roommate confirmed the account’s validity to the outlet and said that the congressman used to often make antisemitic comments. An attorney for Mr Santos told Patch the Facebook post is “completely false”.

The allegation comes as the congressman has previously been caught in a lie about being Jewish and his grandparents fleeing the Holocaust. He later walked back the claims saying he was “Jew-ish”.

George Santos claims he's 'learned my lesson' but insists things have 'largely always been above board'

Thursday 2 February 2023 07:50 , John Bowden

George Santos has claimed he's “learned my lesson” but insists things have “largely always been above board”.

The embattled congressman spoke to OAN’s Caitlin Sinclair on Wednesday – hours after he stepped down from his committee assignments.

“I’ve learned my lesson. I can guarantee you that from now on anything and everything is always going to be above board,” he claimed.

He then went on to insist that he has “largely” always been above board anyway – but would simply need to “double check”.

“It’s largely always been above board. I’m just gonna go the extra step now to double check,” he said.

The congressman went on to fume about the media which he claims put him on a “trial by fire” for exposing his series of lies to the American people.

“People should be judged on their actions, and not by trial by fire through the media, which is what I’ve experienced for the last couple of weeks,” he said.

Mother Jones uncovers yet another questionable Santos donation

Thursday 2 February 2023 05:50 , John Bowden

Left-leaning news site Mother Jones has uncovered another item on George Santos’s FEC filings that demands explanation.

According to the outlet’s bureau chief, a family member of Mr Santos who is listed as donating $5,800 to the campaign now tells reporters that they never authorised a donation to Mr Santos’s congressional bid at all.

It’s just the latest problem arising from amended filings the congressman’s campaign filed with the Federal Election Commission last week.

Read on at Mother Jones:

FEC sends letter to Santos campaign requesting answers after treasurer change

Thursday 2 February 2023 03:50 , John Bowden

The Federal Election Commission has sent a letter to the Santos campaign asking for more information on the paperwork submitted showing a new treasurer who claims he never took the job.

The Thursday letter states that Mr Santos’s campaign “may have failed to include the true, correct, or complete treasurer information” on the documents submitted on Wednesday showing that Thomas Datwyler is its new treasurer and the custodian of records.

Five separate fundraising committees received the same letter after they also sent in documents showing Mr Datwyler as their new treasurer.

The committees and the campaign have to respond before 2 March.

The FEC letter said that if they’re found to have provided a “materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation” on the documents, they could face criminal charges.

FBI interviews veteran who says George Santos took money intended for dying dog

Thursday 2 February 2023 02:03 , Graeme Massie

Richard Osthoff alleges lawmaker raised $3,000 for his sick dog but disappeared with the funds.

FBI interviews veteran who says George Santos took money intended for dying dog

Thursday 2 February 2023 01:50 , John Bowden

Kevin McCarthy spoke to reporters about the fate of George Santos on Wednesday and explained further about the meeting the two had Tuesday which resulted in the New York congressman resigning from two committees.

“Santos stepping down is based upon Santos issues. I think it’s better that Santos is not on committees right now until he clears up these issues,” Mr McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol. “I had a discussion with him and he said … it would be best that he doesn’t serve on committees right now.”

According to CNN’s Manu Raju, Mr McCarthy said that he had “new questions” about Mr Santos’s long list of lies that would need to be answered before the House Ethics Committee.

“I think going through ethics will answer some others. I think until he goes through that, it would be better that he doesn’t serve on committees,” said the Speaker.

Santos family ‘dumbfounded’ after congressman claims donation from them

Wednesday 1 February 2023 23:16 , David Taintor

Relatives of George Santos tell Mother Jones they are “dumbounded” by the congressman’s claim that they donated thousands of dollars to his campaign, as was reported in FEC filings.

A family member who asked not to be identified told the magazine “It’s all news to me” and “I don’t have that money to throw around!”

Read Mother Jones’ report here.

‘Gift that keeps on giving’: George Santos’ ‘embarrassing’ karaoke account has been revealed

Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:43 , Gustaf Kilander

What appears the karaoke account of scandal-ridden New York Republican Representative George Santos has been unearthed on the singing app Smule.

The account is registered under the name “georgedevolder,” according to Rolling Stone. Mr Santos’s full name is George Anthony Devolder Santos.

The profile picture shows Mr Santos wearing a bowtie and doing the “duck face,” the magazine notes.

Twitter users were quick to share their takes on the congressman’s karaoke endeavours.

Read more:

‘Gift that keeps on giving’: George Santos’ karaoke account has been revealed

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Wednesday 1 February 2023 19:09 , John Bowden

George Santos made waves on the political scene of Washington D.C. by flipping New York’s 3rd congressional district seat in the November midterms, a once reliable Democratic seat. But, soon, reports emerged that many things in his résumé and the life story told to the public wasn’t all strictly true. Santos is refusing to stand aside as the controversy mounts but how long can that position hold?

The Independent’s Senior US Correspondent Richard Hall visited Long Island and Nassau county to find out the truth, trying to track down the real George Santos.

Watch here:

Why George Santos could still end up being ousted from Congress after resigning from his committees

Wednesday 1 February 2023 17:45 , John Bowden

George Santos on Tuesday announced that he would voluntarily step down from two House committees in order to “avoid drama” as he remains engulfed in a scandal resulting from his numerous lies about his background.

But that self-inflicted pariahship might not be the end of the troubles Mr Santos faces in the weeks ahead.

Read more in The Independent:

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

Mother Jones uncovers yet another questionable Santos donation

Wednesday 1 February 2023 16:27 , John Bowden

Left-leaning news site Mother Jones has uncovered another item on George Santos’s FEC filings that demands explanation.

According to the outlet’s bureau chief, a family member of Mr Santos who is listed as donating $5,800 to the campaign now tells reporters that they never authorised a donation to Mr Santos’s congressional bid at all.

It’s just the latest problem arising from amended filings the congressman’s campaign filed with the Federal Election Commission last week.

Read on at Mother Jones:

George Santos to step down from House committees after meeting with Kevin McCarthy

Wednesday 1 February 2023 14:45 , John Bowden

George Santos will voluntarily step down from two House committees he recently joined after meeting Tuesday morning with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The move comes after weeks of calls from Democrats for Mr McCarthy to do more to punish the freshman congressman who has now admitted to lying about much of his background and faces a federal investigation by the Justice Department.

George Santos to step down from House committees after meeting with Kevin McCarthy

WATCH: All the times comedians impersonated George Santos

Wednesday 1 February 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Comedians have been giving George Santos a bit of a roasting since the congressman was caught telling lies about his life.

Harvey Guillen and Nelson Franklin are among those who have impersonated the New York Republican.

This video gives a glimpse of all of the times comedians mocked the politician on their late-night slots.

Mr Santos responded to the fun-poking on Twitter, saying: “I have now been enshrined in late-night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far.”

All the times comedians impersonated George Santos

New York Democrats slam George Santos after Holocaust Remembrance Day speech

Wednesday 1 February 2023 13:15 , Rachel Sharp

Democrats in New York are slamming GOP Representative and serial liar George Santos after he took to the House floor last week to deliver a speech marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The embattled Republican congressman paid tribute to victims and survivors of the Nazi-era genocide and condemned antisemitism during his address.

“Antisemitism is a plague in this nation, and it is undoubtedly up to us to ensure this kind of tragedy is never to be seen again,” he said.

Why some were disgusted by his remarks:

New York Democrats slam George Santos after Holocaust Remembrance Day speech

George Santos turns on OAN reporter after she asks him to ‘sincerely’ apologise to voters for lying

Wednesday 1 February 2023 11:45 , Rachel Sharp

New York Republican George Santos turned on a reporter who was interviewing him after she pressed him about lying and not apologising to the public “sincerely”.

On Monday, Mr Santos sat down with Caitlin Sinclair of the conservative One America News (OAN) network in what was perceived to be a softball interview with the embattled Congressman.

The interview, however, turned tense after Sinclair continued to prod him about whether his apologies for lying about his background during the 2022 elections were enough.

Read the full story:

George Santos turns on reporter after she asks him to apologise to voters for lying

Every lie George Santos has been accused of making

Wednesday 1 February 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

It can be difficult keeping up with the list of fictions that George Santos has been accused of telling, admitted telling, or merely been caught spinning red-handed following a contradictory statement.

But, do not fret: The Independent is here, and we’re keeping track of the whole list of lies even as it continues to grow — both in number and in the sheer scale of the humiliation that it presents for not just Mr Santos, who remains adamant that he will serve two years in office as representative for New York’s third district, but for the Republican House caucus as a whole.

Every lie George Santos has been accused of making

George Santos claimed Epstein may still be alive in 2020 interview

Wednesday 1 February 2023 10:15 , Rachel Sharp

Embattled GOP congressman George Santos claimed in August 2020 that Jeffrey Epstein “could still be alive” – one year after the paedophile killed himself in his Manhattan jail cell.

In a newly-resurfaced interview, Mr Santos – who has already been caught out over several lies about his past, background and family – claimed that he met Epstein a few times and pushed the conspiracy theory that he was “murdered” in prison.

Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking children. His death was ruled suicide.

Mr Santos then backtracked over his death altogether, claiming he may actually still be alive.

“I wouldn’t put it past me that he’s still walking around us and we’re all like, ‘Oh my god, the guy is alive,’ and we can’t tell,” he said. “You know what, it’s 2020, anything can happen.”

George Santos claimed paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is ‘still alive’ in 2020 interview

George Santos treasurer quits campaign

Wednesday 1 February 2023 09:24 , Rachel Sharp

Embattled GOP congressman George Santos is facing yet another issue after his longtime treasurer jumped ship amid suspected probes by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Justice Department (DOJ) into his campaign finances.

Nancy Marks officially filed her resignation with the FEC on Tuesday from the serial liar’s campaign and four other political committees affiliated with him.

“At the request of the FEC, I am submitting this Form 99 stating that I have resigned as treasurer for the Devolder-Santos For Congress Committee as of January 25, 2023,” she wrote.

Her resignation came one week after Mr Santos’ campaign filed documents naming replacement treasurer Thomas Datwyler – only for Mr Datwyler to reveal that he had turned down the job and the congressman had listed him without his authorisation.

This prompted the FEC to issue a legal warning to Mr Santos’ campaign about “knowingly and willfully making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation to a federal government agency”.

The DOJ then signalled it had launched its own criminal probe into Mr Santos’ campaign finances, by asking the FEC to postpone any of its own enforcement while it conducts a parallel investigation.

Alongside the legal turmoil, Mr Santos stood down from his committee assignments on Tuesday – just days after they were assigned – and continues to come under scrutiny for a plethora of lies.

Former Santos roommate claims he threatened to send her ‘back to Brazil'

Wednesday 1 February 2023 07:45 , John Bowden

A former roommate of Mr Santos has claimed that he threatened to have her sent back to Brazil when she confronted him about stealing her jewellery and money.

The roommate, Adriana Parizzi, told Mother Jones that Mr Santos “made it very clear that I was in his country...and at any point, if I opened my mouth, he could send me back to Brazil”.

The 55-year-old told the outlet that she bought the tickets for the two of them to fly to New York in February 2011.

“He didn’t have any money to go back and I was the way for him to leave Brazil,” she said.

“He always convinced people that everything was a big misunderstanding,” she added.

Mr Santos has rejected the claims.

“Everybody that has ever wanted to come for me is coming for me and they are making s*** up on the way, and I look very much forward to poking holes in all these people who are making these insane accusations without any corroborating evidence—because it is false,” he told The New York Times.

FEC sends letter to Santos campaign requesting answers after treasurer change

Wednesday 1 February 2023 05:45 , John Bowden

The Federal Election Commission has sent a letter to the Santos campaign asking for more information on the paperwork submitted showing a new treasurer who claims he never took the job.

The Thursday letter states that Mr Santos’s campaign “may have failed to include the true, correct, or complete treasurer information” on the documents submitted on Wednesday showing that Thomas Datwyler is its new treasurer and the custodian of records.

Five separate fundraising committees received the same letter after they also sent in documents showing Mr Datwyler as their new treasurer.

The committees and the campaign have to respond before 2 March.

The FEC letter said that if they’re found to have provided a “materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation” on the documents, they could face criminal charges.

GOP congresswoman reiterates call for Santos to resign

Wednesday 1 February 2023 03:45 , John Bowden

Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina blasted embattled fellow GOP Representative George Santos of New York and said he should resign.

The South Carolina Republican spoke to The Independent in an exclusive interview.

“I mean, if you look at the allegations about his campaign finance, there are serious issues there,” she said.

Specifically, federal prosecutors are investigating irregularities regarding financial disclosures and loans, according to NBC News. “Nothing he has ever said has turned out to be true.”

“He should resign, but he won’t and if you watch the press gaggled up, chase him around Capitol Hill, he’s loving the attention,” she said. “He’s smiling and giggling and just soaking it up.”

Read more:

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace calls on George Santos to resign

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Wednesday 1 February 2023 01:45 , John Bowden

George Santos made waves on the political scene of Washington D.C. by flipping New York’s 3rd congressional district seat in the November midterms, a once reliable Democratic seat. But, soon, reports emerged that many things in his résumé and the life story told to the public wasn’t all strictly true. Santos is refusing to stand aside as the controversy mounts but how long can that position hold?

The Independent’s Senior US Correspondent Richard Hall visited Long Island and Nassau county to find out the truth, trying to track down the real George Santos.

Watch here:

George Santos to step down from House committees after meeting with Kevin McCarthy

Tuesday 31 January 2023 23:45 , John Bowden

George Santos will voluntarily step down from two House committees he recently joined after meeting Tuesday morning with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The move comes after weeks of calls from Democrats for Mr McCarthy to do more to punish the freshman congressman who has now admitted to lying about much of his background and faces a federal investigation by the Justice Department.

It also comes as some critics have hit the House speaker for seeking the removal of three Democratic members of Congress from two committees over what the left decries as partisan reasons — many criticised Mr McCarthy for seeking to punish Democrats for political reasons while shielding one of his own from accountability.

George Santos to step down from House committees after meeting with Kevin McCarthy

George Santos lashes out at the media

Tuesday 31 January 2023 22:30 , John Bowden

George Santos fumed on Twitter that the media is trying to “smear” him as he hit out at what he claimed to be “fake posts” and “clown” interviews.

“From interviewing clowns, to creating fake “posts” the media continues to down spiral as their attempt to smear me fails. I am getting the job I signed up for done, while you all spiral out of control,” he tweeted late on Thursday.

He did not detail what he was referring to but his comments came as a new report from Patch accused him of making a vile joke about Hitler and killing Jews and Black people.

In a 2011 comment on Facebook, obtained by Patch, Mr Santos allegedly wrote: “hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh hiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler) lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! the jews and black mostly lolllolol!!! Dum.”

Mr Santos’ former roommate confirmed the account’s validity to the outlet and said that the congressman used to often make antisemitic comments. An attorney for Mr Santos told Patch the Facebook post is “completely false”.

The allegation comes as the congressman has previously been caught in a lie about being Jewish and his grandparents fleeing the Holocaust. He later walked back the claims saying he was “Jew-ish”.

Keep up with George Santos’s growing list of lies

Tuesday 31 January 2023 21:45 , John Bowden

It can be difficult keeping up with the list of fictions that George Santos has been accused of telling, admitted telling, or merely been caught spinning red-handed following a contradictory statement.

But, do not fret: The Independent is here, and we’re keeping track of the whole list of lies even as it continues to grow — both in number and in the sheer scale of the humiliation that it presents for not just Mr Santos, who remains adamant that he will serve two years in office as representative for New York’s third district, but for the Republican House caucus as a whole.

Every lie George Santos has been accused of making

Why George Santos could still end up being ousted from Congress after resigning from his committees

Tuesday 31 January 2023 19:59 , John Bowden

George Santos on Tuesday announced that he would voluntarily step down from two House committees in order to “avoid drama” as he remains engulfed in a scandal resulting from his numerous lies about his background.

But that self-inflicted pariahship might not be the end of the troubles Mr Santos faces in the weeks ahead.

Read more in The Independent:

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

George Santos to step down from House committees after meeting with Kevin McCarthy

Tuesday 31 January 2023 15:28 , John Bowden

George Santos will voluntarily step down from two House committees he recently joined after meeting Tuesday morning with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The move comes after weeks of calls from Democrats for Mr McCarthy to do more to punish the freshman congressman who has now admitted to lying about much of his background and faces a federal investigation by the Justice Department.

George Santos to step down from House committees after meeting with Kevin McCarthy

New York Democrats slam George Santos after Holocaust Remembrance Day speech

Tuesday 31 January 2023 13:15 , John Bowden

Democrats in New York are slamming GOP Representative and serial liar George Santos after he took to the House floor last week to deliver a speech marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The embattled Republican congressman paid tribute to victims and survivors of the Nazi-era genocide and condemned antisemitism during his address.

“Antisemitism is a plague in this nation, and it is undoubtedly up to us to ensure this kind of tragedy is never to be seen again,” he said.

Why some were disgusted by his remarks:

New York Democrats slam George Santos after Holocaust Remembrance Day speech

Federal prosecutors said to be investigating George Santos as some donors can’t be found

Tuesday 31 January 2023 12:30 , John Bowden

Federal prosecutors are likely looking into Republican Congressman George Santos’ campaign finances after the Justice Department asked the Federal Election Commission to postpone any enforcement action, sources told the Washington Post.

The development coincided with a Mother Jones investigation, which looked into donors to Mr Santos’s 2020 campaign, and discovered contact details for many people were incorrect, with addresses and names not only seeming not to match but often not to exist at all.

The Post reported that the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section asked the FEC to hold off on action as well as provide any relevant documents, according to knowledgeable sources speaking on condition of anonymity.

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Federal prosecutors are already investigating George Santos, report says

George Santos lashes out at the media

Tuesday 31 January 2023 11:45 , John Bowden

George Santos fumed on Twitter that the media is trying to “smear” him as he hit out at what he claimed to be “fake posts” and “clown” interviews.

“From interviewing clowns, to creating fake “posts” the media continues to down spiral as their attempt to smear me fails. I am getting the job I signed up for done, while you all spiral out of control,” he tweeted late on Thursday.

He did not detail what he was referring to but his comments came as a new report from Patch accused him of making a vile joke about Hitler and killing Jews and Black people.

In a 2011 comment on Facebook, obtained by Patch, Mr Santos allegedly wrote: “hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh hiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler) lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! the jews and black mostly lolllolol!!! Dum.”

Mr Santos’ former roommate confirmed the account’s validity to the outlet and said that the congressman used to often make antisemitic comments. An attorney for Mr Santos told Patch the Facebook post is “completely false”.

The allegation comes as the congressman has previously been caught in a lie about being Jewish and his grandparents fleeing the Holocaust. He later walked back the claims saying he was “Jew-ish”.