Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
December 29, 2022
The use of the words discrepancies, fabrications, misspoke, mistakes, or verbally fumbled are strictly prohibited in the rendering of this column. U.S. Representative-elect George Santos (R-NY) simply lied. He lied to the entire world and he did so with ease, in a manner befitting a sociopath.
The litany of lies are so far and wide there aren’t enough Pinocchios in The Washington Post to measure the degree of Santos’ dishonesty. Throughout his campaign, in his literature, and on his resume, Santos lied about attending the Bernard M. Baruch College in New York City - he did not. Santos lied about attending New York University - he did not. In fact there is no record of Santos having attended any institution of higher education.
Santos lied about working for Citigroup - he did not. Santos lied about working for Goldman Sachs - he did not. Santos said his association with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs was in more of a consulting capacity - “deal building and specialty consulting for high net worth individuals.”
But perhaps the most insulting and incredulous of the Santos lies, was claiming his mother was Jewish and that his maternal grandparents managed to flee Nazi-occupied Europe, escaping the Holocaust of World War II. Yet, Santos told the New York Post that he is “clearly Catholic.” Other reports have Santos identifying himself as half-Jewish, a Latino Jew, and “a proud American Jew,” as reported by Forward, a Jewish news site. Upon discovery of the Santos faith-based lies, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) immediately condemned him, vowing Santos would never be welcome at another RJC event.
Santos, 34, is slated to take the oath of office on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, as a member of the freshman class of the 118th Congress. Santos won the Congressional race against Robert Zimmerman, defeating the Democrat 54.2 percent to 45.8 percent. Retiring incumbent Tom Suozzi (D-NY) opted not to seek reelection this year. Suozzi pasted Santos in the 2020 general election 55.9 percent to 43.5 percent.
That Santos had run previously begs the question, where was the vetting by the Republican Party? For that matter, where was the opposition research by the Democrat Party? How did so many egregious lies go undetected? With today’s 24 hour news networks and news cycles and today’s technology, the Santos lies should have been unearthed within minutes. But instead, it took The New York Times to open this can of worms because the Gray Lady believed there to be “inconsistencies” to just about everything Santos said.
Demonstrating the depth of his sociopathy, Santos appeared on the Fox News program Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday December 27 and attempted to explain away his lies by insulting his own constituents to be. Mastering hubris to an art form, Santos had the unmitigated gall to tell Carlson’s guest host former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, “I think humans are flawed and we all make mistakes, Tulsi. I think we can all look at ourselves in the mirror and admit that once in our life we made a mistake. I’m having to admit that to national television, to the whole country, and I have the courage to do so because I believe that in order to move past this and move forward and be an effective member of Congress, I have to face my mistakes. But I’m facing them.” Gabbard listened to that verbal diarrhea with a look of stunned, utter disbelief across her face. During that interview Gabbard asked Santos rhetorically, “Have you no shame?”
A mistake is forgetting to put the milk back in the refrigerator. Announcing you attended Baruch College when you did not, is not a mistake. It is a lie.
Fox News reported on December 29 that the Republican District Attorney of Nassau County, NY is investigating Santos. “The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-elect Santos are nothing short of stunning… No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county we will prosecute it,” said Nassau County D.A. Anne Donnelly.
While lying is not against the law, for if it were, the halls of Congress could be emptied alphabetically, Santos could face legal consequences if his federal elections documents are misleading or false. FEC filings are nothing about which to joke.
Make no mistake, Senator Elizabeth “Fauxcahontas” Warren (D-MA) lying about being a member of the Cherokee Nation and Senator Richard “Stolen Valor” Blumenthal (D-CT) lying about military service during Vietnam should never be excused. That said, the GOP must rise to higher ground and not lower themselves to the level of the Democrats.
Politico reported that although Santos told GOP leadership he would not seek reelection in 2024, he has every intention of being sworn in and seated on January 3rd. Not that Santos should be believed. Once seated, Santos could possibly face expulsion from the House. It would take a two-thirds vote of the House, but perhaps this is one time where a bipartisan effort could be undertaken. Alternatively, Santos could face a recall from his constituents at home.
New York’s Third Congressional District encompasses Northeastern Queens and parts of the North Shore of Long Island in Nassau County. The district includes Bethpage, Great Neck, Little Neck, Manhasset, Massapequa Park, among others. New York 3 is the wealthiest congressional district in the state, checking in with a median household income of $123,412. Affluent and educated, 54 percent of the district hold college degrees.
A protest gathering on Long Island showed demonstrators chanting for Santos to resign and carrying signs expressing their displeasure with the fraud, the conman, the man who would be congressman. One particular sign of interest and amusement said “Fake Jew, Real Gonif.” (Gonif is a Yiddish word for a dishonest, disreputable individual.)
“You lied about your personal work and educational experiences for your own gain. You lied about your wealth and finances for your own personal gain. And perhaps most vile of all, you lied about the Holocaust and a mass shooting for your own personal gain,” said youth activist Greg Long, speaking at the protest.
Seating Santos then having him expelled by his peers in a bipartisan manner sounds rather satisfying; saves the effort and cost of a recall. Santos should be ousted in shame and denied Congressional pension and benefits. Santos should be purged from the House with all due haste and a special election held to provide the citizenry of New York’s Third Congressional District a representative of whom they can be proud. As a conservative, it is vital the Republicans must take the lead on this expulsion. Don’t be hypocrites, do what is right, and don’t defend the indefensible. Seat Santos, castigate him, vilify him, then send him packing. Restore the faith of the American people, even if for just the blink of an eye, and do not permit the dastardly deeds and behavior of George Santos to be rewarded.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
