The scandals of George Santos

Representative George Santos, a first-term Republican from New York, has rocked the media with his numerous scandals in just over a month after his swearing-in. Santos has admitted to lying about his resume and continues to duck allegations that he faked most of his ethnic and sexual identity.

Democrats have called for ethics probes and Santos’ resignation, and House Democrats called for his expulsion on February 9. Republicans, on the other hand, have shied away from criticizing Santos. 

Winston Churchill High School senior and Co-Officer of Churchill’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance Grayson Desalvo states, “I think he deserves more criticism, namely from House Republicans. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has a razor-thin Republican majority.”

He is not wrong, as the Republican majority is slim, with only a five-seat majority over Democrats. 

Madelyn Cook, Junior at WCHS, concurs with Desalvo and believes Santos should be removed from office; “He’s clearly deceived the public, his supporters, and government officials about important personal information. This behavior does not warrant any further participation in government. It does, however, warrant [a] criminal investigation.”

Shortly before this year’s State of the Union address, Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, and Santos had a visible (but inaudible) confrontation. Romney, often mocked for his aversion to divisive issues, shocked experts with this outward display of disapproval. New York 

Times congressional correspondent Annie Karni describes Romney as a rule-follower and maintainer of the status quo- she calls his public remarks criticizing Santos “the Mormon equivalent of an eviscerating, cure-filled diatribe.” In an interview, Romney called Santos a “sick puppy” and implied that he was vying for attention. 

Democrats, especially LGBTQI+ members from New York, have criticized his presence and candidacy. Arguably, his greatest rival has been Ritchie Torres, Santos’ fellow representative from New York. 

Torres has called for an SEC investigation into Santos’ finances. He has even gone as far as to bash Santos online, calling him a “danger to democracy” and reposting news stories surrounding his falsehoods. “I am outraged with the lack of accountability and truthfulness. It’s embarrassing for me to associate Santos with the LGBTQ+ Community, especially given the rhetoric and action the Republican Party is taking against the community.“ Desalvo agrees. 

Since then, Democrats have motioned to expel Santos from congress. He has “stepped down” from his committee assignments. It is difficult to predict the controversial congressman’s future, as expulsion from congress has rarely occurred historically, but the magnitude of his dishonesty may override that precedent. 

Written by Abby Nega of Winston Churchill High School

Photo courtesy of Getty Images