George Santos faces growing condemnation as House GOP leadership remains silent - CNN

CNN  — 

GOP Rep.-elect George Santos is facing increasing condemnation from House Democrats, immoderate of whom person called connected him to measurement aside, and adjacent from immoderate corners of the GOP, with astatine slightest 1 of his chap incoming Republicans calling for him to look an morals investigation. House GOP leadership, however, remains soundless implicit revelations that the New York Republican lied astir parts of his biography. 

Santos has admitted to fabricating sections of his resume – including his past enactment acquisition and acquisition – and has apologized but says helium intends to service successful Congress.

Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas and Ted Lieu of California were among those calling connected Santos – aft the congressman-elect gave interviews acknowledging “embellishing” his resume – to resign and if helium refuses, for the House to expel him. 

Castro called for Santos to beryllium investigated by authorities and argued if the New York Republican is allowed to service successful Congress aft lying astir his resume, “There volition beryllium much who question bureau up and down the ballot who volition judge that they tin wholly fabricate credentials, idiosyncratic features and accomplishments to triumph office.”

Democratic Rep.-elect Dan Goldman of New York, a erstwhile national prosecutor, called Santos a “total fraud.” He criticized House Republicans, saying, “Congress besides has an work to clasp George Santos accountable, but it is sadly wide that we cannot spot House Republicans to initiate an probe successful the House Ethics Committee.”

At slightest 1 incoming subordinate of the GOP league called for Santos to look scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee – an investigative sheet that is evenly divided betwixt Republicans and Democrats but has constricted options for doling retired repercussions. 

“As a Navy antheral who campaigned connected restoring accountability and integrity to our government, I judge a afloat probe by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, instrumentality enforcement, is required,” GOP Rep.-elect Nick LaLota said successful a connection that marks the sharpest rebuke yet from a Republican coming to Congress oregon presently serving.

“New Yorkers merit the information and House Republicans merit an accidental to govern without this distraction,” LaLota added.

Another incoming GOP lawmaker from New York, Rep.-elect Anthony D’Esposito, condemned Santos’ mendacious statements and called connected him to “pursue a way of honesty,” though helium stopped abbreviated of calling for an investigation.

“Neighbors crossed Long Island are profoundly wounded and rightly offended by the lies and misstatements made by Congressman-Elect George Santos,” helium said successful a statement. “While Santos has taken a required archetypal measurement by ‘coming clean’ with respect to his education, enactment acquisition and different issues, helium indispensable proceed to prosecute a way of honesty.”

It is improbable House Republican enactment volition garbage to spot Santos, who is scheduled to beryllium sworn successful with the remainder of the caller members of Congress adjacent Tuesday. The House has the powerfulness nether the Constitution to expel immoderate subordinate with a two-thirds vote, but doing truthful is highly uncommon and lone 5 lawmakers person been expelled successful US history. 

Besides making a referral to the House Ethics Committee, different imaginable options for dealing with Santos see not giving him immoderate committee assignments, which would beryllium up to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

In the past, the California Republican has shown small appetite for punishing his ain members for atrocious behaviour – peculiarly erstwhile it comes to actions from earlier they were a subordinate of Congress. McCarthy has besides declined to measurement successful erstwhile members are nether investigation, arguing helium volition fto the probes play retired earlier determining however to proceed. 

“This volition not deter maine from being an effectual subordinate of the United States Congress successful the 118th session,” Santos told City & State successful an interrogation posted Monday night.

McCarthy’s bureau and the National Republican Congressional Committee did not respond to CNN’s petition for remark Monday evening.  

Republican condemnation has, however, travel from extracurricular Congress.

Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo, Jr., said Tuesday that Santos “has breached the nationalist trust” and “has a batch of enactment to bash to regain the spot of voters.”

“I americium profoundly disappointed successful Mr. Santos, and I expected much than conscionable a broad apology,” Cairo said successful a statement. “The harm that his lies person caused to galore people, particularly those who person been impacted by the Holocaust, are profound.”

CNN’s KFile reported that claims by Santos that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” arsenic Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium who changed their surname are contradicted by sources including household trees compiled by genealogy websites, records connected Jewish refugees and interviews with aggregate genealogists.

“I ne'er claimed to beryllium Jewish,” Santos told the New York Post connected Monday. “I americium Catholic. Because I learned my maternal household had a Jewish inheritance I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’”

But Santos described himself arsenic a “proud American Jew” successful a papers shared with Jewish groups during the campaign, which was archetypal reported by the Forward and confirmed by CNN.

When asked astir that connection connected Tuesday nighttime by erstwhile Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was impermanent hosting Fox’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Santos said, “My practice is Jewish. I’ve ever identified arsenic Jewish. I was raised a practicing Catholic.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition connected Tuesday said the incoming congressman had “misrepresented his heritage” and “will not beryllium invited astatine immoderate aboriginal RJC event.”

“We are precise disappointed successful Congressman-elect Santos,” RJC CEO Matt Brooks said successful a statement. “He deceived america and misrepresented his heritage. In nationalist comments and to america personally helium antecedently claimed to beryllium Jewish. He has begun his tenure successful Congress connected a precise incorrect note.”

Santos admitted Monday helium didn’t postgraduate from immoderate assemblage oregon university, contempt antecedently claiming helium had degrees from Baruch College and New York University.

He besides admitted that helium ne'er worked straight for the fiscal firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, arsenic helium has antecedently suggested, but claimed that helium did bash enactment for them done his company, telling the New York Post it was a “poor prime of words” to accidental helium worked for them.

The New York Times archetypal revealed past week that Santos’ biography appeared to beryllium partially fictional. CNN confirmed details of that reporting, including astir his assemblage acquisition and employment history.