Lying Rep.-elect Santos Arrives on Capitol Hill, Tries To Avoid Media

George Santos, the gay Republican congressman-elect who has admitted to lying about significant parts of his public biography, arrived on Capitol Hill before noon on Tuesday and swiftly tried to outrun a scrum of reporters.

Several dozen assembled reporters and photographers surrounded the incoming lawmaker, demanding answers to questions about his fitness for office.

Santos, at one point led by an aide, seemed lost in the hallways of Congress as he tried to avoid answering questions from reporters.

The politician appeared to be looking for his office but, at one point, walked into a dead-end in the basement of the Longworth House Office building, still surrounded by members of the media who were not letting down from trying to get the lawmaker to say something after weeks of avoiding their questions.

Walking briskly — at times his head down, at other times smirking and grinning — Santos remained silent, except to say that he would be voting for Kevin McCarthy to be the next Speaker of the House.

Shortly before noon, Santos was seen walking to the Capitol in advance of a noon vote to elect the next Speaker of the House.

McCarthy has been trying to secure 218 votes to become the next Speaker. However, far-right members of the GOP have said they would not support his speakership. McCarthy can only lose four votes, which is why experts say he has been silent on Santos's lies.

Santos is under investigation for making false statements about his biography and potential financial crimes by prosecutors in New York. Brazilian officials have also revived an investigation into past allegations of fraud in that country.