LI Officials Call For Investigations Into Rep.-Elect George Santos

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Island elected officials, both Republican and Democrat, have issued official statements of censure after incoming Long Island congressman George Santos admitted he lied about his work history and education. Now, two prominent Long Island Republicans are joining those asking for formal investigations into the 3rd District's congressman-elect.

Fellow Congressman-elect Nick LaLota, a fellow Republican freshman from the 1st District, which coverers the North Shore east of the 3rd District, called for a "full investigation by the House Ethics Committee, and if necessary, law enforcement," in a Tuesday statement.

LaLota's statement came after Santos admitted, in several Monday interviews, to lying about working at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and graduating from Baruch College and NYU while campaigning.

"Did I embellish my resume? Yes, I did and I'm sorry," Santos said in a Monday City & State interview.

“Over the last few weeks I have heard from countless Long Islanders how deeply troubled they are by the headlines surrounding George Santos," LaLota wrote.

"New Yorkers deserve the truth and House Republicans deserve an opportunity to govern without this distraction.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told Newsday on Tuesday: "I think that he's entitled to a hearing with the Ethics Committee, and that they should do a thorough investigation to see if he violated any laws or any ethics rules. I think that we have to let the process unfold, which I think will happen fairly swiftly."

The state attorney general's office said it is looking into "issues" surrounding Santos. Questions remain about the source of Santos' assets and his 2020 and 2022 congressional financial disclosures.

Other Long Island Republicans issued statements condemning Santos' fabrications, but they stopped short of calling for specific actions.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jen DeSena focused on Santos' previous claims that his grandparents fled the Holocaust, another biographical element called into question by several news outlets' research.

"The disappointment that I feel having been misled by George Santos' lies is profound. I am particularly offended that he would fabricate family history with regard to the Holocaust. Our Jewish neighbors, as well as all of our residents, deserve better. Now, Mr. Santos must be honest and accountable to the public going forward if he truly wants to repair the damage he has caused. I will be watching carefully, and I am hopeful that Mr. Santos continues to make amends," she said in a statement.

The Republican Jewish Coalition banned Santos from future events, saying he "deceived them."

Joseph Cairo, chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee, also expressed "disappointment" in Santos.

"Congressman-Elect George Santos has broken the public trust by making serious misstatements regarding his background, experience and education, among other issues," he said in a Tuesday statement.

"Neighbors across Long Island are deeply hurt and rightly offended by the lies and misstatements made by congressman-elect George Santos. His fabrications regarding the Holocaust and his family’s history are particularly hurtful. "

On Wednesday, Republican Jack Martins, state senator-elect in Nassau's 7th District, tweeted "it’s astonishing you’ve yet to take any accountability for the lies you’ve told.," tagging Santos.

Incoming Nassau Republican state senators Steve Rhoads and Ed Ra did not respond to Patch's request for comment.

Meanwhile, Long Island Democrats continued to ask Santos to resign after he told the New York Post on Monday that he still plans to take office.

Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan proposed a "Campaign Honesty" bill, which would make it a misdemeanor for politicians to lie about qualifications when running for office. Lafazan tweeted that Santos "owes us an immediate resignation."

Last week, Nassau Democratic Assemblymember Charles Lavine said he was "deeply troubled by the bizarre allegations."

"It is grotesquely unfair for the people of the Third Congressional District to be represented by anyone who has fabricated and concocted significant aspects of his life. I welcome the investigation announced by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. I urge the leadership of the soon to be sworn House of Representatives to take the steps necessary to protect the national legislative interests of the people of northern Queens and Nassau County.”

Jay Jacobs, Nassau Democrat and chair of the New York State Democratic Committee, told Newsday that questions about where Santos found more than $600,000 to lend to his own campaign "will probably take him out of office in spite of the fact that he says he wants to remain."

Santos has not responded to multiple requests for comments from Patch.

On Tuesday night, he appeared in a Fox News interview where he said he could explain the intricacies of his career history and what he did "in private equity [but] that’s going to go way above the American people’s head."