Republican George Santos became a member of the 118th Congress on Saturday morning, sworn in to represent parts of New York City and Long Island for, possibly, a two-year term.
So far, Santos has resisted calls to resign amid revelations about his background, which appear to be largely fabricated. Nor did his fellow Republicans have the appetite to force him to resign.
The list of things seems astonishing, including outright lies about his religious affiliation, his educational background, his ancestry – even his mother’s death.
But whether he can face charges is still an open question.
Santos faces investigations at the federal and local levels: Authorities in Nassau County, New York, have vowed to press charges of wrongdoing as federal prosecutors say they are looking into his finances.
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Santos admits “overstat[ing]”And “embellishing” his resume after The New York Times said its reporter could not substantiate some basic details about him, such as he worked for Goldman Sachs, graduated from Baruch College, or operated an animal rescue charity called Friends of Pets United. The Times report also made doubts about the source of his income and wealth, finding little evidence that his family business actually existed.
Questions also remain about how he financed his successful campaign. Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman by about eight points in November, becoming the first openly gay Republican in the House.
“I’m not a criminal,” he told The New York Post in late December.
“This [controversy] will not prevent me from having a good legislative success. I will be effective. I’ll be fine.”
For his part, his friends from the new Republic of Santos do not seem to have given him the best welcome. After being mobbed by reporters when he arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Santos was pictured sitting alone during House Republicans’ protracted battle to pick a leader. However, during the past week, he appeared to have a good conversation with another controversial House Republican – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Republicans eventually elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) became the speaker of the House last Friday night, allowing members of Congress to be sworn in and officially seated.
Santos picked off McCarthy in all 15 rounds.