Rep. George Santos, the freshman congressman who was elected last year to represent a district that includes parts of Long Island and Queens, has been under investigation in multiple jurisdictions and by the House Ethics Committee.
During his brief time in office, Santos has been accused of:
- Breaking campaign finance laws
- Violating federal conflict of interest laws
- Stealing cash meant for an Iraq War veteran’s dying dog
- Masterminding a credit card fraud scheme
- Lying about where he went to school and worked
The cracks in Santos’ façade first made national headlines in late December 2022, when The New York Times published a long investigation that questioned large chunks of the personal story he sold to voters during the campaign. What followed, though, was often stranger than fiction: a seemingly endless string of new revelations ranging from allegations he stole a dog from an Amish dairy farmer to his own past claims — all false — of playing high-level college volleyball.
As the stories piled up, former friends and associated of Santos began to come forward and share stories claiming he had ripped them off or misled them about his financial and professional situation. A former roommate of the congressman told CNN earlier this year that Santos showed signs of “delusions of grandeur” during their time living together.
Santos has admitted to making some misleading claims about his education and financial status, but continues to deny the more serious allegations.
During his victorious campaign last year, Santos ran according to the Republican midterm playbook, hammering his Democratic opponent over crime and inflation. The message resonated in the New York suburbs, where GOP candidates flipped four seats on their way to winning a narrow House majority.
But as Santos’ past came under closer scrutiny, he increasingly dug in.
He played up his support for former President Donald Trump and once claimed that Democrats were “trying to ban toilet paper.”
