Kevin McCarthy stands by George Santos - CNN

CNN  — 

Rep. George Santos, the precocious elected GOP congressman from New York who has admitted to lying astir parts of his resume, is facing escalating backlash from his ain enactment arsenic a increasing fig of House Republican lawmakers telephone for him to resign oregon accidental helium can’t service efficaciously adjacent arsenic Speaker Kevin McCarthy has stood by the embattled congressman.

Santos has truthful acold been defiant, pushing backmost connected calls for his resignation – and House GOP enactment has not called connected him to bash so. Instead, McCarthy, a Republican from California, has indicated helium volition not articulation demands from New York GOP leaders, and others, for Santos’ resignation – and has indicated that Santos is connected way to inactive person committee assignments.

McCarthy told reporters connected Thursday that Santos has “a agelong mode to spell to gain trust” and that concerns could beryllium investigated by the House Ethics Committee, but emphasized that Santos is simply a portion of the House GOP conference.

“The voters of his territory person elected him. He is seated. He is portion of the Republican conference,” helium said astatine a quality league connected Capitol Hill.

The contention surrounding Santos is presenting an aboriginal trial of McCarthy’s enactment arsenic talker and has created a large contented for the caller GOP majority.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, echoed McCarthy, saying, “Obviously, you know, we’re uncovering retired more, but we besides admit that helium was elected by his constituents.”

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican who endorsed Santos successful his race, would not telephone connected the embattled freshman to resign connected Thursday.

“It volition play itself out,” she told CNN. “He’s a duly-elected subordinate of Congress. There person been members of Congress connected the Democrat broadside who person faced investigations before.”

But the embattled congressman faces increasing condemnation from rank-and-file Republicans arsenic caller and damaging revelations travel retired astir his past.

Two New York Republican lawmakers — US Reps. Marc Molinaro and Mike Lawler — told CNN connected Thursday greeting they don’t judge Santos tin service his territory effectively.

“There’s nary mode I judge helium tin afloat fulfill his responsibilities,” Molinaro said.

“I deliberation it’s clear, similar I said, helium has mislaid the assurance of radical successful his ain community, truthful I deliberation helium needs to earnestly see whether oregon not helium tin really bash his occupation efficaciously and close present it’s beauteous wide helium can’t,” Lawler told CNN.

Lawler aboriginal said successful a statement, “I judge helium is incapable to fulfill his duties and should resign.”

Santos refused to code immoderate of the allegations of lying astir his resume oregon his colleagues’ calls for his contiguous resignation connected Thursday morning, saying lone “I was elected by the people” earlier ducking into his office.

Leaders of the Nassau County Republican Party connected Wednesday called for Santos to resign from bureau implicit his lies to voters and fabrications astir his idiosyncratic life. Santos, however, swiftly rejected the calls to resign.

“Today, connected behalf of the Nassau County Republican Committee, I’m calling for his contiguous resignation,” president Joseph G. Cairo said astatine a quality league connected Long Island, adding that the congressman’s run was made up “of deceit, lies and fabrication.”

Cairo was joined by a slate of section enactment officials and, remotely from Washington, DC, by Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who besides called for Santos to measurement down. D’Esposito was joined aboriginal Wednesday successful calling for Santos’ resignation by others successful the US House GOP conference: New York Reps. Nick LaLota, Nick Langworthy and Brandon Williams, arsenic good arsenic South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace. Ohio Rep. Max Miller connected Thursday besides called for the congressman to resign.

Santos has faced increasing disapproval from legislature Democrats, and a increasing fig of Republicans, aft helium admitted to fabricating sections of his resume – including his past enactment acquisition and education.

CNN reported past period that national prosecutors successful New York are investigating Santos’s finances. Separately, CNN has reported that Santos’s run finances amusement dozens of expenses conscionable beneath the FEC’s threshold to support receipts.

In 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.

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.

CNN’s KFile uncovered adjacent much falsehoods from Santos, including claims helium was forced to permission a New York City backstage schoolhouse erstwhile his family’s existent property assets took a downturn and stating helium represented Goldman Sachs astatine a apical fiscal conference.

This communicative and header person been updated with further developments.