George Santos – live: DoJ ‘conducting criminal probe into Congressman’ as campaign financing comes into spotlight

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George Santos has now been accused of making a vile joke about Hitler and killing Jews and Black people in a resurfaced Facebook post – marking just the latest scandal to hit the newly-elected congressman.

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”.

As well as being exposed for making a series of lies during his campaign run, Mr Santos is also under scrutiny over an amended financial disclosure form he filed with the FEC this week. For starters, there are two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

Key points

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

  • Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace calls on George Santos to resign: ‘That guy does not cut it’

  • Santos flees questions about treasurer listed on forms who says he didn’t work for campaign

  • Santos gets into Twitter spat with Trixie Mattel of RuPaul’s Drag Race

  • Rep Torres slams McCarthy’s ‘hypocrisy' over George Santos

Department of Justice appears to be conducting criminal probe — report

15:19 , Richard Hall

The Department of Justice has given its clearest sign yet that it has launched a criminal probe into George Santos, according to a new report.

The Washington Post reveals that the DOJ has asked the Federal Election Commission to postpone any enforcement against Mr Santos while they conduct a parallel criminal investigation.

The request also asked for any relevant documents to be handed over to the DOJ, the newspaper reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The 34-year-old congressman was found to have told a litany of lies during his campaign for election, which attracted the attention of the DOJ and FED. And while he has admitted to “embellishing” his resume, he has refused to resign.

Santos claimed to have ‘personal relationship’ with California Retirement System CEO

14:30 , Gustaf Kilander

While working at the small Florida investment firm Harbor City, Mr Santos claimed to have “a personal relationship with Marcie Frost, the CEO of CalPERS”.

He said that they had had “a lot of good rapport for the past four years”.

“I’ve been involved in six of their deals, and it’s been just, you know, an official relationship,” he added, according to The Washington Post.

CalPERS – the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, rejected those claims, telling The Post that no one called George Santos or George Devolder “has any relationship with the pension fund’s CEO”.

“We have been unable to locate any records of any relationship, business or otherwise, with this individual,” a spokesperson told the paper.

Santos claims to have flipped over table in office of Blackstone CEO

13:45 , Gustaf Kilander

While working at the small Florida investment firm Harbor City, Mr Santos claimed to have flipped over a table in the office of Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman.

“I actually sat on a chair inside of Blackstone’s office on the day of the signing of a deal … and I flipped backwards, flipping the table on the chief executive … I flipped the table on Schwarzman,” he said during a Zoom meeting, according to The Washington Post.

“I walked out of there feeling like a completely incompetent idiot,” he added.

A spokesperson for Blackstone told The Post that Mr Schwarzman “has no recollection of any such incident or meeting Mr Santos, and we have found no record of Mr Santos having a business relationship with Blackstone”.

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace calls on George Santos to resign: ‘That guy does not cut it’

12:00 , Eric Garcia

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.”

Read more:

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace calls on George Santos to resign

VIDEO: What Rep. George Santos’ fallout reveals about the news

11:15 , The Independent

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal in Brazil but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

10:30 , John Bowden

A Brazilian drag artist who knew George Santos when he lived in the country revealed more about the congressman’s political past in a new interview with Insider.

Eula Rochard explained in her latest interview that Mr Santos had once been a proud supporter of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the current president of Brazil, who recently returned to office after successfully battling corruption charges he and his supporters argued were politically motivated.

His support for the president, who is best known by the moniker Lula, was centred around the latter’s support for LGBT rights, according to Ms Rochard.

“Lula promised to make laws to help us gays. They were all Lulistas and Anthony was too because he hung out with us,” said Ms Rochard, referring to the congressman by one of the names he used to go by.

“He wasn’t a bad person,” Ms Rochard added of Mr Santos when he lived in Brazil. “He was a regular gay teenager in a country where there were no laws protecting gay people.”

Read more:

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

From the first questions to GOP blowback : A timeline of George Santos’ many scandals

09:45 , John Bowden

George Santos is officially a member of Congress following a marathon vote to select the GOP’s Speaker of the House and the swearing-in of the 118th Congress.

But it wasn’t even clear that he would make it this far: Dogged by surely one of the oddest scandals to hit American politics in the last few years, Mr Santos was facing calls for his expulsion and resignation even before he was seated as representative for New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

While the freshman Republican remains adamant that he will serve two years in the House of Representatives, he still faces growing calls for his resignation and the continued threat of investigations reportedly launched by both state and federal authorities.

Read more:

From first questions to GOP rebukes : A timeline of George Santos’ many scandals

Former boyfriend says Santos is never going to resign

09:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Pedro Vilarva, the former boyfriend of Mr Santos, told CNN that “his ego is too big. He’s not gonna resign. If they don’t find out something to get him (to leave) he’s not gonna do it. That’s for sure, knowing the person that he is”.

“What he always looked for was fame and power,” he said. “That’s all he cared about and he got it.”

Mr Vilarva said he only learned of Mr Santos’s marriage to a woman after he had moved out of his home.

“It was like a little shock for me,” he told CNN. “But then he used to say that he was going to get the divorce, he was getting the divorce – and never got the divorce. And then I went to find out that they only got the divorce in (2019).”

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

08:15 , John Bowden and Gustaf Kilander

George Santos has yet another headache coming his way, thanks to amended filings submitted to the FEC this week.

The embattled New York congressman was already facing calls for his resignation or ouster — from both parties — before his filings with the Federal Election Commission this week. Now, those filings are becoming the source of problem after problem, each with the potential to run afoul of the law.

The latest issue flagged by reporters with ABC News on Thursday stems from filings that several fundraising committees working on behalf of the Santos 2022 campaign made with the agency specifying a change in the individual assigned as treasurer for the committees. Those committees are now listed as having their financial operations overseen by Thomas Datwyler, a longtime specialist in political campaign finances.

Read more:

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Jamie Raskin calls Santos ‘compulsive liar and conman’ as he blasts McCarthy

07:45 , Gustaf Kilander

Maryland Democrat called Mr Santos a “compulsive liar” and a “conman” as he blasted Speaker Kevin McCarthy for blocking several Democrats from a number of committees.

“By refusing to seat Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and Ilhan Omar on their committees while seating compulsive liar and conman George Santos and bowing and scraping to compulsive liar and conman Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy has shown America exactly what he believes in: nothing,” Mr Raskin tweeted on Wednesday afternoon.

Former friend says Santos’s drag queen past is ‘proof he doesn’t care about politics at all'

07:00 , Gustaf Kilander

In a WhatsApp group of former friends of Mr Santos living in Brazil and the US, one participant reacted to the allegations that the New York Congressman has a past as a drag queen.

“The great irony of this is he is part of a party that thinks drag queens are terrible!” they wrote, according to Mother Jones.

“That’s proof that he doesn’t care about politics at all,” another person wrote. “He just wants to be famous.”

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

06:15 , John Bowden

George Santos has yet another headache coming his way, thanks to amended filings submitted to the FEC this week.

The embattled New York congressman was already facing calls for his resignation or ouster — from both parties — before his filings with the Federal Election Commission this week. Now, those filings are becoming the source of problem after problem, each with the potential to run afoul of the law.

The latest issue flagged by reporters with ABC News on Thursday stems from filings that several fundraising committees working on behalf of the Santos 2022 campaign made with the agency specifying a change in the individual assigned as treasurer for the committees. Those committees are now listed as having their financial operations overseen by Thomas Datwyler, a longtime specialist in political campaign finances.

But there’s just one problem: Mr Datwyler adamantly told ABC News that he is not working for the Santos campaign, and in fact had informed them of that before the FEC filings were submitted: “On Monday, we informed the Santos campaign that Mr. Datwyler would not be serving as treasurer,” said Mr Datwyler’s attorney Derek Ross.

Read more:

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Former Republican congressman blames lack of Trump accountability for Santos rise

05:45 , Gustaf Kilander

A former Republican congressman has blamed the lack of accountability for former President Donald Trump for the rise of George Santos.

“George Santos is what you get when you don’t hold Donald Trump accountable,” Joe Walsh tweeted on Friday.

‘Anti-semitism is a plague in this nation,’ Santos says on House floor

05:00 , Gustaf Kilander

After suffering heavy criticism for allegedly making a Facebook comment seemingly joking about Hitler and the holocaust more than a decade ago, Mr Santos took to the House floor on Friday.

“Mr Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge that the 27th of January marks the anniversary of the Auschwitz concentration camp being liberated by the Red Army in 1945,” he said. “Let this day serve as a reminder that we must honour the victims and survivors.”

He added: “We must also pay tribute to the liberators who rescued millions of people who nearly fell victim to the Holocaust. In fact, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the grandmother of one of my DC staffers who is a 93-year-old survivor of Auschwitz, and is also one of the few survivors of her family who was tragically lost at the hands of Nazi murderers.”

“Anti-semitism 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. “This is a tribute to ageing survivors and the Jewish community. We must guarantee access to the services they need to live long and dignified lives. This day, and every day, we greet we give credence to the dark side of humanity but strive to strive for a better brighter future.”

Former roommate says Santos looks like ‘a lost, cornered person’

04:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Adriana Parizzi, 55, flew with Mr Santos to the US from Brazil and once shared an apartment with him in New York City.

She told Mother Jones that she remembers him as being “playful and smiley ... singing and dancing, joking about everything”.

But she also called him a “dreamer” who liked expensive restaurants, designer fashion, pricey whiskey, and as someone who boasted about his connections.

When she sees him in the media walking the halls of Congress, she told the outlet that she thinks “he has the look of a lost, cornered person”.

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

04:00 , John Bowden

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy left open the door to that possibility on Tuesday during a press conference outside of his new office in the Capitol.

Read more:

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

Former Trump impeachment counsel blasts McCarthy for lack of action on Santos

03:15 , Gustaf Kilander

The lead majority counsel in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump, New York Representative Dan Goldman, took to Twitter on Thursday night to blast Speaker Kevin McCarthy for not booting Mr Santos of Congress.

“George Santos once made comments praising Hitler. As a candidate, he then lied about his grandparents being refugees from Hitler’s Holocaust. Yet @SpeakerMcCarthy still wants him in Congress. This is the Republican Party,” Mr Goldman wrote.

Santos rejects allegation of crude Hitler joke: ‘It’s not real'

02:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Mr Santos allegedly commented on a photo posted by a friend on Facebook in March 2011 showing what seems to be a salute with the caption “something like Hitler”.

“hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh hiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler) lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! the jews and black mostly lolllolol!!! Dum” Mr Santos seemingly wrote.

On Friday he rejected the allegation, telling NBC News, “I have a black father and a Jewish ancestry. Let’s have a genuine conversation. It’s not real”.

Brazilian claiming to be Santos’ ex-boyfriend says congressman only ever cared about ‘fame and power’

01:45 , Abe Asher

A Brazilian individual claiming to be Rep George Santos’ ex-boyfriend appeared on CNN and said that Mr Santos only ever cared about “fame and power” and that he expects him to continue to reject calls for his resignation.

Pedro Vilarva has previously said that he entered into a romantic relationship with Mr Santos in 2014 when he was just 18 years old and the future Congressman was 26 — and that their relationship was full of dishonesty on Mr Santos’ part.

The Republican, elected to the US House in November and sworn in earlier this month, is facing an avalanche of claims that he lied about various aspects of his identity and past and engaged in questionable campaign finance practices.

Mr Vilarva, who made his first televised appearance to talk about Mr Santos on Out Front with Erin Burnett on Thursday evening, has been increasingly vocal about his experiences with the congressman in recent weeks. According to a party invitation written by Mr Santos and obtained by The Daily Beast, the two men were engaged in 2014 while Mr Santos was still married to his now ex-wife.

He told CNN: “What he always looked for was fame and power, that’s all he cared about, and he got it”, adding “I think he’s just out of his mind and one lie led to another ..... I think he should not be in Congress.”

Read more:

Ex-boyfriend claims George Santos only ever cared about ‘fame and power’

Reporters keep asking Santos to address the press. He keeps saying ‘soon'

01:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Kate Santaliz, a congressional reporter for NBC News, tweeted on Friday that “Santos told me that he will address the press ‘in his own time’”.

She added: “For the past several weeks, he has told reporters he will talk ‘soon.’ Asked to specify what ‘soon’ means and when he will finally address the allegations against him, Santos told me again, that he will ‘soon.’”

Man says business meeting with Santos felt like being in a ‘mafia movie'

00:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Christian Lopez met with Mr Santos in November 2020 at the Il Bacco Ristorante in Queens.

“I felt like we were in ‘Goodfellas,’ like we were in a mafia movie,” Mr Lopez told The Washington Post. “They were like, ‘Hello, I see you are here with George, right this way.’ Bringing us to this fancy restaurant and doing all this, I felt like he was doing it to capture us.”

“He was saying if you give me $300,000, I am going to make you money. I’m going to make you $3 million,” the 35-year-old added.

Mr Santos was working as the New York regional director at Harbor City Capital, a Florida investment firm, which the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged in April 2021 has taken millions from investors in what they called a “classic Ponzi scheme”.

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Friday 27 January 2023 23:30 , Richard Hall

Long Island’s Gold Coast is known to many as the backdrop for a story about a fictional character who concocted fabulous tales about his past to climb the ranks of New York’s high society in a ceaseless quest for the object of his desire.

I’m talking, of course, about George Santos.

Nearly 100 years after F Scott Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby in these same opulent shores, the 34-year-old Republican congressman has once again drawn the eyes of the world onto the eastward-stretching leg of New York City, and invited comparisons to the titular character of that Great American Novel along the way.

Where Jay Gatsby ultimately failed in his efforts, Santos succeeded in his. A man who repeatedly lied about his own history, from claiming his mother died on 9/11, to falsifying his education and net worth — not for love, but for donations, votes and influence — was elected to a seat in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.

So, how did he do it? How did he fool so many people? How did no one know? The truth is, many did. But no one listened to them.

Read more:

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

VOICES: Give him some credit, George Santos has performed a valuable public service

Friday 27 January 2023 22:45 , Richard Hall

In the Long Island congressional district he was elected to represent, George Santos is a pariah.

He is the subject of almost daily protests and press conferences organised by local residents. The Nassau County Republican Party has disowned him, so too have six local Republican members of Congress. He is rarely seen out in public, or at his district office — even when Congress is on break.

His only safe space, it seems, is Washington DC.

This is electoral politics turned on its head. A member of Congress should, in theory, have more to fear from the snakepit of the Capitol than the people who elected them. The reason why Santos doesn’t tell us something about the state of the Republican Party today.

Read more:

Give him some credit, George Santos has performed a valuable public service

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

Friday 27 January 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

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.

Offensive social media post from 12 years ago prompts outrage

Friday 27 January 2023 21:15 , Gustaf Kilander

George Santos is facing severe criticism after a social media comment from 12 years ago was unearthed by Patch.

Mr Santos commented on a photo posted by a friend on Facebook in March 2011 showing what seems to be a salute with the caption “something like Hitler”.

“hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhiiiiiiiiiiiitlerrrrrrrrrrr (hight hitler)lolololololololololololol sombody kill her!! the jews and black mostly lolllolol!!! Dum” Mr Santos wrote.

His lawyer Joseph Murphy told Patch, “the Facebook comment that you reference...is completely false, absolutely disgusting — There is absolutely nothing to talk about”.

“This man went from “I’m Jewish and my family died in the Holocaust” to mocking Jews, the Holocaust, and praising Hitler. To be honest his lie and his mockery both come from the same antisemitism and hatred of Jews—and @SpeakerMcCarthy proudly stands by this antisemitism,” Qasim Rashid tweeted.

“Ok, at this point, it has to be asked. Are we sure George Santos isn’t the zodiac killer? I’m just waiting for that shoe to drop,” Alejandra Caraballo added.

“We are disgusted to learn that Congressman George Santos, who lied about being Jewish during his campaign, had previously posted vile comments about Adolf Hitler and Jewish and Black people,” the organization Stop Antisemitism wrote.

FEC sends letter to Santos campaign requesting answers after treasurer change

Friday 27 January 2023 20:30 , Gustaf Kilander

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.

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace calls on George Santos to resign: ‘That guy does not cut it’

Friday 27 January 2023 19:45 , Eric Garcia

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

Santos flees questions about treasurer listed on forms who says he didn’t work for campaign

Friday 27 January 2023 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander and John Bowden

George Santos fled questioning on Thursday after the man listed as his treasurer argued that he didn’t work for the New York congressman.

The latest issue flagged by reporters with ABC News on Thursday stems from filings that several fundraising committees working on behalf of the Santos 2022 campaign made with the agency specifying a change in the individual assigned as treasurer for the committees. Those committees are now listed as having their financial operations overseen by Thomas Datwyler, a longtime specialist in political campaign finances.

But there’s just one problem: Mr Datwyler adamantly told ABC News that he is not working for the Santos campaign, and in fact had informed them of that before the FEC filings were submitted: “On Monday, we informed the Santos campaign that Mr. Datwyler would not be serving as treasurer,” said Mr Datwyler’s attorney Derek Ross.

Santos gets into Twitter spat with Trixie Mattel of RuPaul’s Drag Race

Friday 27 January 2023 18:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Trixie Mattel of RuPaul’s Drag Race and George Santos got into a feud on Twitter over the rumours that the New York Congressman was a drag queen in the past.

George Santos: Every lie disgraced incoming republican Congressman has been accused of making, so far

Friday 27 January 2023 17:45 , 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.

John Bowden details all of Mr Santos’ lies so far:

Every lie George Santos has been accused of making

George Conway mocks Santos over string of lies

Friday 27 January 2023 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

The Lincoln Project’s George Conway has mocked George Santos over his string of lies.

“I just spoke to George Santos and he tells me it’s Friday,” he tweeted on Thursday.

Mr Conway was responding to another Twitter user, who had asked: “How is it still Thursday?”

George Santos claimed Epstein may still be alive in 2020 interview

Friday 27 January 2023 16:30 , 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.”

Brazilian claiming to be Santos’ ex-boyfriend says congressman only ever cared about ‘fame and power’

Friday 27 January 2023 15:45 , Rachel Sharp

A Brazilian individual claiming to be Rep George Santos’ ex-boyfriend appeared on CNN and said that Mr Santos only ever cared about “fame and power” and that he expects him to continue to reject calls for his resignation.

Pedro Vilarva has previously said that he entered into a romantic relationship with Mr Santos in 2014 when he was just 18 years old and the future Congressman was 26 — and that their relationship was full of dishonesty on Mr Santos’ part.

The Republican, elected to the US House in November and sworn in earlier this month, is facing an avalanche of claims that he lied about various aspects of his identity and past and engaged in questionable campaign finance practices.

Read more here:

Ex-boyfriend claims George Santos only ever cared about ‘fame and power’

Rep Torres slams McCarthy’s ‘hypocrisy' over George Santos

Friday 27 January 2023 15:00 , Rachel Sharp

Rep Ritchie Torres has slammed Kevin McCarthy’s “hypocrisy” over George Santos.

On Tuesday, the House speaker ousted Democratic Reps Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee.

Meanwhile, Mr Santos has been given roles on the House Small Business Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Mr Torres described Mr McCarthy’s actions as “inexplicable” in an interview with MSNBC on Thursday.

“It’s the height of hypocrisy for Speaker McCarthy to remove Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell – two members in good standing from their committees … while appointing a complete charlatan and utter fraud like George Santos on a committee.”

He added: “It’s a subversion of the institution.”

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Friday 27 January 2023 14:15 , John Bowden

George Santos has yet another headache coming his way, thanks to amended filings submitted to the FEC this week.

The embattled New York congressman was already facing calls for his resignation or ouster — from both parties — before his filings with the Federal Election Commission this week. Now, those filings are becoming the source of problem after problem, each with the potential to run afoul of the law.

The latest issue flagged by reporters with ABC News on Thursday stems from filings that several fundraising committees working on behalf of the Santos 2022 campaign made with the agency specifying a change in the individual assigned as treasurer for the committees. Those committees are now listed as having their financial operations overseen by Thomas Datwyler, a longtime specialist in political campaign finances.

But there’s just one problem: Mr Datwyler adamantly told ABC News that he is not working for the Santos campaign, and in fact had informed them of that before the FEC filings were submitted.

Read more:

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Friday 27 January 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

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:

Santos FEC filing draws new questions

Friday 27 January 2023 12:45 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues. For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

George Santos fumes that the media is trying to ‘smear me’

Friday 27 January 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

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”.

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Friday 27 January 2023 11:15 , John Bowden

Long Island’s Gold Coast is known to many as the backdrop for a story about a fictional character who concocted fabulous tales about his past to climb the ranks of New York’s high society in a ceaseless quest for the object of his desire.

I’m talking, of course, about George Santos.

Nearly 100 years after F Scott Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby in these same opulent shores, the 34-year-old Republican congressman has once again drawn the eyes of the world onto the eastward-stretching leg of New York City, and invited comparisons to the titular character of that Great American Novel along the way.

Where Jay Gatsby ultimately failed in his efforts, Santos succeeded in his. A man who repeatedly lied about his own history, from claiming his mother died on 9/11, to falsifying his education and net worth — not for love, but for donations, votes and influence — was elected to a seat in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.

So, how did he do it? How did he fool so many people? How did no one know? The truth is, many did. But no one listened to them.

The Independent’s Richard Hall reports from on the ground in Long Island:

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

George Santos accused of making vile joke about Hitler, Jews and Black people

Friday 27 January 2023 10:35 , Rachel Sharp

George Santos has now been accused of making a vile joke about Hitler and killing Jews and Black people in a resurfaced Facebook post – marking just the latest scandal to hit the newly-elected congressman.

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”.

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

Friday 27 January 2023 09:45 , John Bowden

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

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

Santos is questioned about whether he’s following RuPaul’s ‘Drag Race'

Friday 27 January 2023 08:00 , John Bowden

Congressman George Santos sure looked like he was nearing the end of his rope on Thursday when an activist encountered him in the halls of Congress and asked him if he was following the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Watch the amusing moment unfold here:

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Friday 27 January 2023 06:45 , John Bowden

George Santos has yet another headache coming his way, thanks to amended filings submitted to the FEC this week.

The embattled New York congressman was already facing calls for his resignation or ouster — from both parties — before his filings with the Federal Election Commission this week. Now, those filings are becoming the source of problem after problem, each with the potential to run afoul of the law.

The latest issue flagged by reporters with ABC News on Thursday stems from filings that several fundraising committees working on behalf of the Santos 2022 campaign made with the agency specifying a change in the individual assigned as treasurer for the committees. Those committees are now listed as having their financial operations overseen by Thomas Datwyler, a longtime specialist in political campaign finances.

But there’s just one problem: Mr Datwyler adamantly told ABC News that he is not working for the Santos campaign, and in fact had informed them of that before the FEC filings were submitted.

Read more:

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Brazilian claiming to be Santos’ ex-boyfriend says congressman only ever cared about ‘fame and power’

Friday 27 January 2023 05:06 , John Bowden

A Brazilian individual claiming to be Rep George Santos’ ex-boyfriend appeared on CNN and said that Mr Santos only ever cared about “fame and power” and that he expects him to continue to reject calls for his resignation.

Pedro Vilarva has previously said that he entered into a romantic relationship with Mr Santos in 2014 when he was just 18 years old and the future Congressman was 26 — and that their relationship was full of dishonesty on Mr Santos’ part.

Abe Asher has the full story:

Ex-boyfriend claims George Santos only ever cared about ‘fame and power’

Santos claimed Jeffrey Epstein could be alive in 2020 interview

Friday 27 January 2023 04:15 , John Bowden

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 now claims he survived assassination attempt

Friday 27 January 2023 03:15 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP Rep George Santos has now come under scrutiny for claiming that he survived an unidentified assassination attempt.

The Republican, who has already admitted to making several lies during his run for Congress, made the wild allegation during an interview with Brazilian podcast “Rádio Novelo Apresenta” last month.

“We have already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police – a police escort standing in front of our house,” he claimed.

Mr Santos did not elaborate on the alleged hit plot and is not thought to have mentioned it publicly prior to this. During the interview he also claimed he was mugged in on Fifth Avenue in New York City and that his Florida home was vandalised.

Read more from Gustaf Kilander:

Video emerges of George Santos saying he’s the victim of an assassination plot

Santos FEC filing draws new questions

Friday 27 January 2023 02:15 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues. For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

Santos delivers first House floor speech

Friday 27 January 2023 01:15 , John Bowden

George Santos delivered a speech on the House floor on Wednesday, his first as a member of Congress.

Instead of addressing the myriad of scandals enveloping him on a near-daily basis, the New York Republican instead spoke in favour of a resolution condemning the actions of Iran’s government in the face of widespread protests.

Watch here:

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

Friday 27 January 2023 00:30 , John Bowden

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

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

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint: ‘My pathological liar character can’t hold a candle to you!’

Thursday 26 January 2023 23:45 , John Bowden

Comedian Jon Lovitz has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

See the rest of their exchange in The Independent:

Comedians let rip as George Santos complains about ‘terrible’ impressions of him

McCarthy snaps at reporters when questioned about George Santos

Thursday 26 January 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Thursday 26 January 2023 22:15 , John Bowden

Long Island’s Gold Coast is known to many as the backdrop for a story about a fictional character who concocted fabulous tales about his past to climb the ranks of New York’s high society in a ceaseless quest for the object of his desire.

I’m talking, of course, about George Santos.

Nearly 100 years after F Scott Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby in these same opulent shores, the 34-year-old Republican congressman has once again drawn the eyes of the world onto the eastward-stretching leg of New York City, and invited comparisons to the titular character of that Great American Novel along the way.

Where Jay Gatsby ultimately failed in his efforts, Santos succeeded in his. A man who repeatedly lied about his own history, from claiming his mother died on 9/11, to falsifying his education and net worth — not for love, but for donations, votes and influence — was elected to a seat in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.

So, how did he do it? How did he fool so many people? How did no one know? The truth is, many did. But no one listened to them.

The Independent’s Richard Hall reports from on the ground in Long Island:

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Santos is questioned about whether he’s following RuPaul’s ‘Drag Race'

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:30 , John Bowden

Congressman George Santos sure looked like he was nearing the end of his rope on Thursday when an activist encountered him in the halls of Congress and asked him if he was following the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Watch the amusing moment unfold here:

ICYMI: More footage of George Santos at drag show surfaces

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:45 , John Bowden

The Twitter account PatriotTakes, operated by political activists aligned with the Democratic Party, has surfaced another Brazilian news clip revealing George Santos in drag dancing with other drag queens. He has denied particpating extensively in the culture.

It isn’t exactly clear where the clip is from, but Mr Santos can be seen wearing the same costume he wore in the original pictures provided to TMZ and other news outlets by a drag queen who knew him at the time, Eula Rochard.

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

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:00 , John Bowden

Add George Santos to the list of members who find themselves part of Congress’s growing conspiracy caucus.

In a 2020 interview resurfaced this week by Insider, the House’s most controversial new member insists that paedophile and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in prison — only to minutes later suggest that actually, the shadowy financier may in fact be alive and well.

The interview was with right-wing podcast The Rory Sauter Show, which Mr Santos appeared on in August of 2020. It came as part of his first congressional run, which would end in failure months later.

Read more from John Bowden:

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

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:15 , 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:

Santos FEC filings draw alarm from experts

Thursday 26 January 2023 18:30 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues.

For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

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

Thursday 26 January 2023 17:45 , John Bowden

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

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

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Thursday 26 January 2023 17:00 , John Bowden

A majority of New Yorkers want embattled Republican Representative George Santos to resign amid a flurry of reports that he fabricated large parts of his life story, according to a new Siena College poll.

A total of 59 per cent of registered voters said Mr Santos should resign from Congress, with 64 per cent of Democrats saying he should. A plurality of Republicans – 49 per cent – want Mr Santos to resign as well. That comes despite the fact that Mr Santos flipped a district on Long Island that had voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Santos delivers first House floor speech

Thursday 26 January 2023 16:15 , John Bowden

George Santos delivered a speech on the House floor on Wednesday, his first as a member of Congress.

Instead of addressing the myriad of scandals enveloping him on a near-daily basis, the New York Republican instead spoke in favour of a resolution condemning the actions of Iran’s government in the face of widespread protests.

Watch here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

Thursday 26 January 2023 15:30 , John Bowden

Embattled New York Republican George Santos is “saddened” that his fellow party member John Kennedy called him “nutty as a fruitcake” and a “bunny boiler” – a reference to Glenn Close’s unhinged, psychotic character in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

Mr Santos responded to the Louisiana Republican’s comments on Tuesday. “I am saddened that a distinguished senator from the GOP, whom I’ve respected would use such derogatory language against me,” he said.

“Language like that is hurtful and divisive, and has no place in Congress,” he added.

Read the full story here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘bunny boiler’

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Thursday 26 January 2023 14:42 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Thursday 26 January 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Long Island’s Gold Coast is known to many as the backdrop for a story about a fictional character who concocted fabulous tales about his past to climb the ranks of New York’s high society in a ceaseless quest for the object of his desire.

I’m talking, of course, about George Santos.

Nearly 100 years after F Scott Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby in these same opulent shores, the 34-year-old Republican congressman has once again drawn the eyes of the world onto the eastward-stretching leg of New York City, and invited comparisons to the titular character of that Great American Novel along the way.

Where Jay Gatsby ultimately failed in his efforts, Santos succeeded in his. A man who repeatedly lied about his own history, from claiming his mother died on 9/11, to falsifying his education and net worth — not for love, but for donations, votes and influence — was elected to a seat in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.

So, how did he do it? How did he fool so many people? How did no one know? The truth is, many did. But no one listened to them.

The Independent’s Richard Hall reports from on the ground in Long Island:

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Thursday 26 January 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

The treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign has said that he doesn’t work for the congressman, casting new doubts on his Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.

Thomas Datwyler, a campaign finance treasurer who has worked with many other political organisations, was named as treasurer of several fundraising committees associated with Mr Santos when they filed amended documents on Wednesday.

Mr Datwyler has spoken out to say that he does not work with Mr Santos and that the documents were submitted without his consent.

“On Monday, we informed the Santos campaign that Mr. Datwyler would not be serving as treasurer,” his attorney Derek Ross told ABC News.

“It appears that there’s been a disconnect between that conversation and the filings today, which we did not authorise.”

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint: ‘My pathological liar character can’t hold a candle to you!’

Thursday 26 January 2023 13:00 , John Bowden

Comedian Jon Lovitz has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

See the rest of their exchange in The Independent:

Comedians let rip as George Santos complains about ‘terrible’ impressions of him

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Thursday 26 January 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

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 ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

Thursday 26 January 2023 12:00 , John Bowden

Embattled New York Republican George Santos is “saddened” that his fellow party member John Kennedy called him “nutty as a fruitcake” and a “bunny boiler” – a reference to Glenn Close’s unhinged, psychotic character in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

Mr Santos responded to the Louisiana Republican’s comments on Tuesday. “I am saddened that a distinguished senator from the GOP, whom I’ve respected would use such derogatory language against me,” he said.

“Language like that is hurtful and divisive, and has no place in Congress,” he added.

Read the full story here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘bunny boiler’

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

Thursday 26 January 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

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

George Santos claimed Epstein may still be alive in 2020 interview

Thursday 26 January 2023 11:04 , 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.”

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Thursday 26 January 2023 08:30 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Santos is questioned about whether he’s following RuPaul’s ‘Drag Race'

Friday 27 January 2023 05:08 , John Bowden

Congressman George Santos sure looked like he was nearing the end of his rope on Thursday when an activist encountered him in the halls of Congress and asked him if he was following the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Watch the amusing moment unfold here: