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Republican George Santos came under fire after a report from The New York Times revealed that the newly elected House Representative from New York’s 3rd congressional district has allegedly misrepresented key parts of his CV.
According to the claims, Santos reportedly faked information related to his education, financial assets, employment history, and philanthropic activities. He even allegedly omitted information related to legal charges he faced in Brazil back in 2008.
The information presented by The New York Times was further reviewed by CNN and noted similar discrepancies in Santos’ biographical information. As the first LGBTQ+ Republican member to win a House seat, the politician campaigned as an individual who can be defined as a “full embodiment of the American dream.”
However, the portfolio that described Santos as a “seasoned Wall Street financier and investor” is currently under intense scrutiny.
Everything to know about George Santos
George Santos is an American politician and entrepreneur who is currently under investigation for alleged discrepancies in his background. He was born on July 22, 1988 to Gercino Santos and Fatima Devolder.
As per his biography, Santos’ grandparents fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine and settled in Belgium before fleeing persecution again during WWII. They finally settled in Brazil, where his mother was born.
His father was also reportedly born in Brazil and comes from Angolan roots. Santos’ parents legally immigrated to the United States. Santos claimed in his resume that he graduated from Baruch College in 2010 and earned a bachelor's degree in economics and finance.
He also alleged that he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from New York University. However, his educational background is currently under scrutiny.
The politician also claimed to have worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs as well as MetGlobal and LinkBridge Investors. Per his official bio, Santos is reportedly fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.
A member of the Republican Party, the politician first ran for the United States House of Representatives in New York's 3rd Congressional District against Thomas Suozzi in 2020 and lost to the latter.
He is also a staunch follower of Donald Trump and claimed to have attended the January 6 “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington DC. George Santos was finally elected to represent New York's 3rd congressional district in 2022, after defeating opponent Robert Zimmerman.
The 34-year-old made history by becoming the first open LGBTQ+ member and non-incumbent Republican as well as the first Brazilian-American to be elected to Congress. On a personal front, Santos allegedly lives on Long Island with his husband Matt and their four dogs.
A look into the discrepancies in George Santos’ resume
Republican House Representative-elect George Santos’ resume is currently being investigated for alleged discrepancies. According to the New York Times, officials at Baruch College said that the they have no record of Santos or anyone with a matching name and date of birth graduating from the college in 2010.
In his bio, Santos claimed that he received a bachelor's degree in economics and finance from the institution. Similarly, NYU also alleged that the politician did not receive an MBA degree from the university.
NYU spokesperson John Beckman told CNN:
"The University’s records do not reflect anyone with that name [George Anthony Devolder-Santos] having attended NYU.”
Wall Street firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs also told the Times that they had “no record” of Santos ever working at the companies. CNN reported that Santos listed a salary of $750,000 this year and last at the Devolder Organization on his 2022 financial disclosure.
He claimed that the organization is a “family firm” managing $80 million in assets. A study of the business revealed that the company was registered in Florida in 2021 and was recently temporarily deemed “inactive” by the state for failing to file the necessary annual reports.
The congressman also said that he has a family-owned real estate portfolio of 13 properties, but The New York Times failed to find any property records. George Santos further claimed that he founded and ran his own charity called “Friends of Pets United” and cited the organization as part of his history of philanthropic work.
However, the Internal Revenue Service could not find the charity in its searchable database. It was also not found on the list of registered charities in New York State and Florida.
Reports suggest that the nonprofit organized a fundraiser with a New Jersey animal rescue group in 2017 and charged $50 entry, but the beneficiary allegedly did not receive any funds.
The New York Times also reported that George Santos was charged with check fraud in 2008 in Brazil. The-then 19-year-old Santos allegedly stole a checkbook from a man his mother nursed for and made fraudulent purchases, including a pair of shoes.
The Republican reportedly admitted to the crimes two years later and court records revealed that he was formally charged even though the case remained unsolved.
Twitter reacts to George Santos’ fraudulent CV claims
George Santos recently came under fire for allegedly presenting a fraudulent resume shortly after being elected as the Republican House representative for New York’s 3rd Congressional District.
As the claims surrounding his discrepancy published by The New York Times went viral online, several people took to Twitter to call out the politician:
In response to the allegations, Santos’ lawyer Joseph Murray claimed that the publication attempted to “smear” the Congressman with the “defamatory allegations”:
“Santos represents the kind of progress that the Left is so threatened by - a g*y, Latino, immigrant and Republican who won a Biden district in overwhelming fashion by showing everyday voters that there is a better option than the broken promises and failed policies of the Democratic Party.”
George Santos is yet to issue an official statement addressing the allegations.
