Immigration records contradict Santos' claim his mother was at World Trade Center on 9/11 - CNN

CNN  — 

Newly uncovered migration records for Rep. George Santos’ parent look to contradict the embattled freshman Republican’s repeated assertion that she was contiguous astatine the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 violent attacks.

The records bespeak that Fatima Devolder said she was successful Brazil betwixt 1999 and aboriginal 2003, and truthful not successful New York City erstwhile the attacks took place. CNN obtained the records, archetypal reported connected by The Forward, from genealogy researcher Alex Calzareth, who received them from a Freedom of Information Act request.

While successful Brazil successful 2003, Devolder indicated connected a signifier that she had not been to the US since she near successful 1999. Devolder besides filed paperwork successful Brazil successful 2001, conscionable months earlier the September 11 attacks, saying her greenish paper had been stolen.

Representatives for Santos did not instrumentality CNN’s requests for comment.

Santos has repeatedly claimed that his parent was astatine the World Trade Center connected September 11 and said the incidental played a relation successful her decease from cancer.

In a December 17, 2021, vigor interrogation connected “The Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser,” Santos said that his parent got “caught up successful the ash cloud” connected 9/11 and that she did not motion up to get fiscal alleviation due to the fact that she didn’t privation to instrumentality wealth distant from archetypal responders.

“She was successful the southbound tower, and she made it out. She got caught up successful the ash cloud. My ma fought crab till her death,” Santos said.

Santos has antecedently claimed his parent was a fiscal executive, though that statement has since been removed from his website. The records obtained by CNN amusement she listed her jobs arsenic a housekeeper oregon location aid.

Devolder besides listed some of her parents – Santos’ grandparents – arsenic being calved successful Brazil, again undercutting his assertion that his maternal grandparents fled the Holocaust.

Santos has refused to measurement down from Congress, contempt facing mounting ineligible issues and growing calls to resign for extensively lying astir his resume.

Hear from the Navy seasoned that was allegedly scammed by Santos

03:20 - Source: CNN

He is already facing a national probe led by prosecutors successful New York who are investigating his finances. And successful a abstracted matter, CNN reported that instrumentality enforcement officials successful Brazil volition reinstate fraud charges against Santos. Prosecutors said they volition question a “formal response” from Santos related to a stolen checkbook successful 2008, aft constabulary suspended an probe into him due to the fact that they were incapable to find him for astir a decade.

In an interrogation past period with the New York Post, Santos denied being charged with immoderate transgression successful Brazil, saying “I americium not a transgression present – not present oregon successful Brazil oregon immoderate jurisdiction successful the world. Absolutely not. That didn’t happen.”

Santos admitted to stealing a man’s checkbook that was successful his mother’s possession to acquisition covering and shoes successful 2008, according to documents obtained by CNN.