George Santos rejected calls to quit campaign staff after background check revealed lies: report

GOP Representative George Santos, NY, had rejected calls to resign from his campaign staff after a routine background check revealed he had fabricated parts of his background.

Santos’ staff had hired an opposition research firm in late 2021 to conduct a “vulnerability investigation” on him, which, according to the New York Times, found no evidence of the then-candidate’s alleged degrees from Baruch College and New York University .

The company also found records of his deportations, a suspended Florida driver’s license, his involvement with a company accused of a Ponzi scheme, and that Santos had married a woman while claiming to be gay.

The findings prompted some Santos staffers to demand that he withdraw from his candidacy for Congress, warning he could face humiliation otherwise.

GEORGE SANTOS: THESE 4 HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL ON A JOINED CONGRESSMAN TO RESIGN IF MCCARTHY ALLOWS HIM TO SERVE

But Santos rejected the background check results and decided to stay in the running, leading to the resignation of most of his campaign team. He then hired new campaign staff in the spring of last year.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which deals with electing House Democrats, compiled 87 pages of opposition research on Santos prior to running against Democrat Robert Zimmerman, which exposed some of the company’s research findings.

The DCCC found evidence of his evictions, an associated pet charity not registered with the IRS, his ties to the alleged Ponzi scheme, and discrepancies in his financial disclosure forms.

While Zimmerman’s campaign had access to the DCCC report on Santos, the Democrat decided not to spend campaign funds on further research into Santos’ background. Instead, Zimmerman’s campaign hit Santos for his views on abortion and the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Santos rejected the background check results and decided to stay in the race, leading to the resignation of most of his campaign team.
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Santos eventually defeated Zimmerman in the November election, and a month later The New York Times published a report detailing Santos’ lies.

During an interview with the New York Post, he later admitted that he made up his work and parenting history. He also admitted to lying about owning 13 properties and being married to a woman before his first congressional campaign in 2020, though he claims he is now a married gay man and happy.

Some Republican and Democratic members of Congress have called for Santos to resign over his fabrications. New York State Republicans also urged the freshman legislature to resign.

GEORGE SANTOS REFUSES TO RESIGN AFTER NASSAU COUNTY GOP CALLS FOR CONGRESS TO RESIGN

Some Republican and Democratic members of Congress have called for Santos to resign over his fabrications.
(OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP)

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He is expected to be investigated by the House Ethics Committee and is currently under investigation at the local, state and federal levels as part of his House campaign funding.

And Brazilian authorities have reopened an investigation into Santos over check fraud allegations related to a 2008 incident involving a stolen checkbook.

Santos said he would step down this week if asked by the 142,000 people who voted for him.