Congressman-elect George Santos admits lying about education, work experience, but vows to be sworn in
The calls are intensifying for Congressman-elect George Santos to step down after he admitted to lying on his résumé.
The Long Island Republican turned the blue district red.
And in the face of questions about campaign fraud and deception, on Tuesday afternoon his campaign told CBS2 he still has every intention of being sworn in next week.
Congressman-elect George Santos admits to lying about his education and work experience
Santos said he's sorry he "embellished" his résumé, but he believes he still deserves to serve the voters of Long Island and northeast Queens who elected him.
Last week, the New York Times reported that the 34-year-old Republican falsely claimed he graduated from Baruch College, that he is the descendant of a Holocaust survivor, and that had worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
"If I was trying to defraud the people like everyone is saying, I could have listed bigger names," Santos said.
In a Fox News interview Tuesday night, he said he is "not a fraud" and "not fake."
"I made a mistake, and I think humans are flawed and we all make mistakes," he said. "In order to move past this and move forward and be an effective member of Congress, I have to face my mistakes."
"I can say the same thing about the Democrats and the party. Look at Joe Biden. Joe Biden's been lying to the American people," he said
Democrats on Long Island -- and beyond -- are calling for Santos to step down.
"There is a very real possibility that George Santos committed financial crimes. In 2020, he reported an income of $55,000, yet two years later he's wealthy enough to contribute $700,000 to his campaign?" Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan said.
Calls rise for federal investigation into Congressman-el ct George Santos' alleged fraudulent behavior
"George Santos is a pathological liar who defrauded the voters of New York state. He should be held accountable," Rep. Ritchie Torres said. "I have trouble believing he legitimately lent his campaign 94% of his salary. Where there's smoke, there's fire, and there needs to be an investigation."
Santos still has not addressed how exactly his wealth has skyrocketed in the past several years by "consulting," but did say it allowed him to give a large amount of money to his congressional campaign.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, a rep for Santos said, in part, "As a millennial, George did what he had to in order to evade smear campaigns put forth by elitist organizations like the New York Times. Santos is wholeheartedly ready to claim the decisive victory he earned in Congress and be the voice of New York's 3rd District."
Calls grow for Congressman-elect George Santos to resign after allegedly lying about his background