Federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York are looking into the finances and financial disclosures of Republican Rep.-elect George Santos after he admitted to fabricating significant parts of his resume ahead of his successful bid for Congress, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.
The federal probe marks a potentially serious turn for the congressman-elect, who said he still intends to take his seat in the House come January.
Separately, the Republican district attorney for Nassau County is looking into Santos following the revelations of the Long Island congressman-elect’s falsehoods, although they haven’t specified what aspect of Santos’ behavior they’ll be reviewing. Nassau County district attorney spokesperson Brendan Brosh told CBS News the office is “looking into the matter.” Newsday was the first to report the Nassau County probe.
“The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-elect Santos are nothing short of stunning,” District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said in a statement. “The residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress. No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.”
David Becker for the Washington Post/ Getty Images
Santos admitted in an interview with the New York Post this week that he “embellished” his work and education history after the New York Times reported it was unable to substantiate claims that he had graduated from Baruch College in New York or worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Santos was also called out for falsely claiming to be Jewish, prompting a harsh statement from the Republican Jewish Coalition’s leader.
“My sins here are embellishing my resume. I’m sorry,” Santos told the Post, adding that he “campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume.”
The probes come as Santos faces increasing pressure over his falsehoods, including from his own party. Fellow Republican congressman-elect Nick LaLota said Tuesday that Santos should be investigated by the House Ethics Committee and potentially by law enforcement.
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