Rep. George Santos (RN.Y.) lied to a Seattle judge about working for Goldman Sachs during a 2017 trial, according to audio from the proceedings obtained and published Monday by Politico.
Introducing himself as George Anthony Devolder Santos, he spoke at the bail hearing in support of the man accused of the ATM fraud scheme, Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha, stating that his parents and Trelha’s parents knew each other in Brazil.
Santos said Trelha’s parents sent money to make sure their son had a place to stay if he was released on bail. Santos helped by finding “longer-term apartments through Airbnb” or other accommodations, he said.
Trelha’s public defender, Virginia Branham, introduced Santos to King County Superior Court Judge Sean O’Donnell, who wanted to hear from him directly.
“So what do you do for work?” the judge asked.
“I was an aspiring politician, and I worked at Goldman Sachs,” Santos said.
“You work at Goldman Sachs in New York?”
Santos was not seen swearing at the time.
He admitted in December that he had “embellished” his resume after a New York Times investigation found no record of employment at Goldman Sachs or Citigroup, another financial giant he claimed to have worked for.
Another tidal wave of lies appeared. Santos, it turns out, has been telling wild stories over the years about how his mother died, family ancestry and other biographical details.
The new Republican has resisted bipartisan calls to resign, even as he gave up his House committee job amid the controversy.
Politico explained Santos’ connection to Trelha after speaking with him through a translator: The two were roommates in Florida, having met in a Facebook group for Brazilians living in Orlando. Politico said it saw a copy of the lease.
Trelha is accused of using ATM-skimming equipment in downtown Seattle.
He had a fake Brazilian ID card and 10 suspected fraudulent cards in his hotel room, according to arrest documents. An empty Fed-Ex package police found in a rental car was delivered from the Winter Park apartment Santos shared. Trelha declined to say who sent the package from the apartment.
Trelha was unable to post bail and was eventually deported back to Brazil.