George Santos becomes Republican Party’s most prolific liar since Trump

George Santos speaks at a Republican Jewish Coalition event after winning his seat in Congress in New York’s 3rd District. Santos would concede weeks later he isn’t Jewish, but “Jew-ish.” (George Santos/FACEBOOK)

He’ll never beat him no matter how hard he tries, but newly elected Congressman George Santos is giving former President Donald Trump a run for his money when it comes to lying to the American people.

Santos has lied about his Jewish heritage and being the victim of an assassination attempt, and that’s only the beginning.

Now, as Democrats push for Santos to be barred from accessing classified materials in Congress, The Blueprint is taking a look back at the series of lies the politician told on his way to victory.

Education and work experience

The son of Brazilian immigrants, Santos claimed he was a student at a private school in the Bronx but was forced to drop out after his parents suffered major financial losses in the 2008 financial crisis.

That claim was debunked by a spokesperson for the school in December, who confirmed Santos was never a student there. Instead, he received his GED years later.

If the lies about his education ended there, perhaps they could be forgiven. Unfortunately, investigative reporting has proven that wasn’t the case.

Santos said he received an undergraduate degree in economics and finance in 2010 — just two years after he said he withdrew from a private high school. Completing a double major is no small feat, so it would be all the more impressive for Santos to have done it in 24 months, considering it takes four years to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree. 

And that’s not all — Santos says he managed to do it while also being the "star" on the college’s volleyball team. Did I mention his resume boasts he graduated in the top one per cent of his class?

As a candidate, Santos also told the National Republican Congressional Committee that he studied at New York University. He also touted his extensive work experience with investment organizations like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. But a quick reference check by a Times reporter proved otherwise.

In an effort to rise from the ashes, Santos spoke with Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, admitting he’s never graduated from a post-secondary institution.

This week, The Washington Post published a devastating report, comparing an investment company’s Ponzi scheme pushed by Santos to the 1990 Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas. 

The company, Harbor City, was accused of stealing $17 million from investors, according to an April 2021 filing by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. [Santos has not been accused of any crimes related to Harbor City.]

Aside from that, he’s lied about being the landlord of 13 properties. He also claimed to have lost four employees in the Pulse nightclub shooting back in 2016. 

Running for Congress

It appears Santos’ chronic dishonesty seeped into his campaign for Congress. CNBC recently reported that a campaign staffer impersonated House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s chief of staff in order to raise campaign funds.

When he ran for Congress for the second time, Santos wasn’t fooling around. He loaned himself $700,000 for his campaign.

But earlier this month, Santos found himself in hot water when filings from the Federal Election Commission proved that $625,000 — about 90 per cent — didn’t actually come from his own pockets.

Where did the campaign funds come from? We probably wouldn’t be able to believe Santos even if he told us. 

Following the money in another direction, POLITICO discovered a curious pattern of campaign expenses. What makes the dozens of $199 charges at restaurants (including over $25,000 at Il Bacco) and hotels so unusual is that they’re all one penny short of reaching the legal threshold to preserve spending records.

Writing bad checks, stealing charity funds, and an appearance on Hannah Montana

In 2008, Santos was charged in Brazil with stealing a chequebook and writing fraudulent checks. After the avalanche of false claims made by Santos was exposed by The New York Times, authorities in Brazil reopened their investigation. Santos, who could be tried in absentia, faces up to five years in Brazilian prison if convicted.

In his spare time, Santos claimed to have saved 2,500 dogs and cats as part of a foundation he ran between 2013 and 2018 called the Friends of Pets United — an organization that has no record of ever existing.

One of the most nefarious claims made about Santos suggests he stole money from a disabled veteran who came to Friends of Pets United for help to fund a $3,000 life-saving surgery for his dog.

The organization raised the money to pay for the surgery on GoFundMe, but CNN says Santos refused to give the man money, and his dog died less than a year later.

Santos, who stepped into the political scene as a rarity among Republicans for being gay, has said he’s married with four dogs. Not only are there no marriage records, but The Daily Beast reported Santos has been married before — to a woman.

Santos has also claimed his mother died on 9/11. But he also marked the fifth anniversary of her death in 2021.

His campaign website stated his mother "was in her office in the South Tower on September 11" before dying "a few years later" from cancer. There is no evidence Santos’ mother was at the World Trade Center when the 9/11 attacks occurred. Instead, she was traced back to Brazil in Sept. 2001.

The lies don’t end with 9/11. Santos also claimed in 2022 that his grandparents "survived the Holocaust" and fled persecution in World War II — claims that have been debunked by genealogist Megan Smolenyak.

When he’s not lying about appearing on shows like Hannah Montana and movies with Uma Thurman, Santos has been reported to have had a past life as drag queen Kitara. He also claimed to have survived a brain tumor.

One might think Santos would tone down the sensational deception once elected in November, but the Congressman proved last month that certainly wouldn’t be the case.

In an appearance on a Brazilian podcast, Santos claimed to have already suffered an assassination attempt since his election, an incident that would almost certainly make the front pages of American newspapers if it actually happened.

That’s not all. He went on to say he was mugged in broad daylight in New York City in 2021, telling the host his shoes, briefcase, and watch were stolen in the process.

It’s easy to get lost in the grandiosity of Santos’ claims, as ridiculous as some of them may be. But by deceiving his constituents and receiving virtually no ramifications for doing so, Santos is single-handedly lowering the standard to which elected officials are held accountable.

What’s stopping chronic liars like Santos from running in the 2024 elections under the Republican Party banner? By letting the dishonesty slide, the GOP is, in essence, incentivizing candidates to do whatever it takes to win.