George Santos, a shamed Republican from New York, who is presently being scrutinized for at least three unlawful cases, assumed the responsibility of office in Congress early on Saturday morning.
Kevin McCarthy administered the oath to the individuals comprising the 118th Congress, among them Santos, who positioned himself beside Reps. Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert while raising his right hand and vowing to uphold the Constitution.
The impasse among Republicans in selecting a House speaker resulted in a postponement of the swearing-in ceremony for the representative from Queens and Long Island for a number of days.
The timing of Santos posing for his ceremonial photo with Speaker McCarthy, as is customary after the official swearing-in, remains uncertain.
Santos, who is now officially the Representative of New York’s 3rd Congressional District, holds the power to remove members from their seats in the House.
The Santos can be removed by the House with a two-thirds vote.
Federal prosecutors in the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are reportedly investigating the finances of a congressman who is facing questions over the mysterious origins of his wealth.
Prosecutors are reportedly looking into the financial disclosures of Long Island politicians, specifically the consulting firm Organization Devolder, where Santos reported earning $750,000 and holding investments valued between $1 million and $5 million, including dividends.
In 2020, Santos reported making just $55,000 in annual salary and also showed filings that he loaned his successful New York’s 3rd Congressional District campaign more than $700,000.
Anne Donnelly, the Attorney for Nassau County’s District, announced last month that her office would be investigating Santos for lying. Additionally, Santos is also under a state investigation in New York.
Santos told The Post last month that he never went to Baruch College, never worked at Citigroup or Goldman Sachs, isn’t Jewish, and made claims on the campaign trail that he never made.
He has rarely interacted with any new colleagues and has mostly been seen sitting alone. In his first few days in the Capitol building, Santos has been given the cold shoulder by most lawmakers.
McCarthy, in order to vote for himself as House speaker, only needed to be present in the chamber for longer than Santos, thus avoiding sitting for most of the time.
He has evaded almost every question from journalists who have trailed him around the Capitol compound.
Two individuals were spotted at the House floor, laughing and whispering to each other as they were commenting on another person. On Thursday, it seemed that he may have formed a friendship with Marjorie Greene, a fiery and passionate Representative.
However, a member of New York’s congressional delegation has already demanded his resignation.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) Declared on Monday that Santos ought to step down before further tarnishing his reputation. Santos is presently under scrutiny by local, state, national, and global law enforcement, reopening the criminal investigation into George Santos, who engaged in fraudulent activities in Brazil, as confirmed by Brazilian authorities.
In his brief tenure in Congress, Santos has engaged in a hiring frenzy, enlisting Viswanag “Vish” Burra, a political strategist connected to former White House advisor Steve Bannon and businessman Carl Paladino, instead of contemplating his resignation.
Santos has hired other discreet recruits, including spokesperson Gabby Lipsky and former campaign assistant to the controversial former U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, Charles Lovett, who previously served as a campaign director.
