Embattled George Santos defies New York Republicans' call to step down - Reuters

WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Embattled U.S. Representative George Santos said helium had nary plans to heed chap New York Republicans' calls to measurement down, a plea they made connected Wednesday owed to what they called "lie aft prevarication aft lie" astir his vocation and history.

Top House of Representatives Republican Kevin McCarthy said helium had nary volition of pressuring Santos, portion of his constrictive 222-212 majority, contempt the nationalist plea by much than a twelve apical Republicans, galore of them from Santos' suburban New York City district.

The New York Republicans made their plea astatine a quality league 2 days aft a nonpartisan watchdog accused Santos of breaking run concern laws successful a filing with the Federal Election Commission.

"It's conscionable prevarication aft prevarication aft lie. It became a pattern," said Joseph Cairo Jr., the enactment president successful Nassau County.

Republican Representative Nick Langworthy from occidental New York and Representative Anthony D'Esposito, who represents a territory adjacent to that of Santos, were besides among those calling connected the first-term congressman to measurement down.

"I articulation with my colleagues successful saying that George Santos does not person the quality to service present successful the House of Representatives and should resign," helium said.

Santos rejected those calls successful remarks to reporters astatine the Capitol and elaborated connected his plans connected Twitter.

"I was elected to service the radical of #NY03 not the enactment & politicians, I stay committed to doing that and regret to perceive that section officials garbage to enactment with my office," helium wrote, referring to the legislature territory helium represents.

McCarthy connected Wednesday told reporters that voters, not lawmakers, should take who represents them.

"In America today, you're guiltless until proven guilty," helium said.

'SIMPLY TRAGIC AND OUTRAGEOUS'

Santos, who represents overmuch of Nassau County, arsenic good arsenic a tiny portion of New York City, has admitted to fabricating overmuch of his resume.

He won his November contention implicit Democrat Robert Zimmerman by a borderline of 7.5 percent points.

But his triumph was rapidly overshadowed by media reports indicating that the persona helium presented to voters was mostly a enactment of fiction.

Among different claims, Santos said helium had degrees from New York University and Baruch College, contempt neither instauration having immoderate grounds of him attending. He claimed to person worked astatine Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, which was besides untrue.

He besides falsely said that helium was Jewish and that his grandparents escaped the Nazis during World War Two.

"For him to marque up this communicative that his parents were Holocaust survivors is beyond the pale. It is simply tragic and outrageous and disgusting," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. "He is simply a stain connected the House of Representatives."

During the quality conference, officials said they would nonstop Santos' constituents to Representative D'Esposito successful immoderate cases, who had agreed to assistance residents of Santos' district.

Two House Democrats connected Tuesday referred the substance to the House morals committee this week. The section territory lawyer has said her bureau is investigating Santos.

If Santos were to resign, his territory could marque for a competitory peculiar election.

He won his 2022 predetermination with 52% of the ballot to Democrat Zimmerman's 45%, handing Republicans a spot formerly held by Democrat Thomas Suozzi.

The 2022 predetermination took spot with newly-drawn territory boundaries. Had those lines been successful spot successful the 2020 statesmanlike election, Democratic President Joe Biden would won the territory by 8 percent points.

Under New York and national law, the spot would beryllium vacant until a peculiar predetermination is held, which would instrumentality astir 3 months.

Reporting by Gram Slattery and Moira Warburton, further reporting by Jason Lange and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Scott Malone, Mark Porter and Aurora Ellis

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