Santos defends record, hints at running again in 2024: ‘I’ve lived an honest life’
Cami Mondeaux
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Newly sworn-in Rep. George Santos (R-NY) defended his reputation amid several calls for his resignation, maintaining that he has “lived an honest life” and indicating he will run again for office in 2024.
“Look, I’ve worked my entire life,” Santos said on the podcast War Room to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who filled in for Steve Bannon as host on Thursday. “I’ve lived an honest life. I’ve never been accused of — of any bad doings, so, you know, it’s my — it’s the equity of my hard-working self, and I’ve invested inside of me.”
NEW YORK DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE SANTOS ACT TO PUNISH LAWMAKERS WHO LIE ABOUT BACKGROUND
Santos’s comments come as several Democrats, and even a handful of Republicans, have denounced him for admitting to fabricating several details about his professional background while running for office. A group of New York Republicans urged Santos to step down during a press conference on Wednesday, joining their Democratic counterparts who have hurled criticisms at the freshman lawmaker since last month.
However, Santos has remained adamant he has no plans to step down and even indicated he plans to run for reelection come 2024.
“I wish well all of their opinions, but I was elected by 142,000 people. Until those same 142,000 people tell me they don’t want me — we’ll find out in two years,” Santos said.
Santos was elected to Congress in November after defeating Democratic candidate Robert Zimmerman to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District. However, he has faced a slew of criticism since his win due to inconsistencies on his resume, with criticisms only intensifying in late December when he admitted to making false statements about his educational background, work experience, finances, and other personal details.
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Santos also faces a slew of investigations into his finances after it was discovered there were a number of unusual expenses on his campaign filings for the 2022 midterm cycle. Two New York Democrats, Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, filed a complaint to the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday, requesting the committee investigate his campaign financial disclosure reports.
Goldman and Ritchie later introduced a bill on Thursday that would require candidates to submit additional biographical information and punish those who lie about their background while running for office.