US Congressman George Santos has been charged with a wide range of wrongdoings, including fraud.
The 34-year-old lawmaker, who admitted he was a "liar", has faced allegations of lies and fraud during his short career on Capitol Hill.
Among the points of controversy raised by the Republican lawmaker before he was sworn in, non-existent real estate, allegations of fraud regarding university degrees, and the ambiguity of his relationship with Judaism.
Before winning the midterm elections last November, Santos described himself as "the complete embodiment of the American dream": gay Brazilian immigrants who rose to the upper echelons of Wall Street before entering politics.
Since then, Santos' account of his life has fallen flat, with his acknowledgment that large parts of his story were entirely made up. But he refuses to resign after being charged with 13 counts in New York of wire fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.
Who is Jorge Santos?
According to a biography his campaign posted online, which has since been rewritten, Santos is an American born in New York City's borough of Queens.
The site indicated that his grandparents "fled from persecution of Jews in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and fled again from persecution during World War II" before settling in Brazil. His parents, both born in Brazil, immigrated to the United States "in search of the American dream."
Investigating a US Congressman who lied about his resume
Republican congressman admits to lying on his resume
Santos also claimed that he was educated at Baruch College in New York City before becoming a "seasoned Wall Street financier and investor" with work experience at prestigious companies, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
Santos also claimed that he owns 13 properties, which he "worked hard for," and that his mother was "in her office in the South Tower" of the World Trade Center at the time of the 9/11 attacks.
In October, his campaign website claimed that she had survived the attack, and died several years later.
It was first banned last November.
Why did Santos fake his life?
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On December 19, The New York Times ran a story that called into question large parts of his resume, including his education and work experience.
Since then, other news outlets have found no evidence that his grandparents escaped anti-Semitism in Europe or that he is Jewish, despite previously boasting of being a "proud American Jew".
Since initial reports, Santos has admitted that he faked his resume, that he did not graduate from any university, and that he did not work for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. Instead of owning real estate in New York, he lives with his sister on Long Island.
It was also revealed that his mother passed away in 2016.
He also admitted that he misrepresented his faith, telling the New York Post that he is a Catholic and that he said he "supports the Jews" after learning that his maternal family had a Jewish background.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Santos said that he fabricated his biography and life story to win the approval of voters in New York's Third District.
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