U.S. Representative George Santos, a New York Republican who admitted to lying about his professional and academic record while running for Congress this week, came under criticism again Tuesday for his allegations of Jewish heritage.
The Republican Jewish Coalition said Santos would not be welcome at future group events, after it misled its members about his ties to the Jewish faith.
“He misled us and misrepresented his legacy,” said Matt Brooks, the coalition’s executive director. “In public comments and to us in person, he previously claimed to be Jewish.”
The group released its statement a day after Santos told the New York Post that he “never claimed to be Jewish”, although the newspaper’s campaign website described it as a message saying that his mother was Jewish and that his grandparents had fled the Nazis. War II
Santos pledged to serve his two-year term in Congress, and the House remained silent on debating Republican leaders. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office did not respond to a question on Tuesday seeking comment.
Quoting himself to the Post, he said, “I am Catholic. When I learned from my mother’s side that my family was of Jewish descent, I said I was ‘Jewish’.”
Santos could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
“My sins here grace my resume. I’m sorry,” Santos told the Post on Monday.
“I did not graduate from any higher education institution,” he told the newspaper. He also told the Post that he “never worked directly” for Goldman and Citigroup, describing these allegations as “bad word choice”.
Santos denied the New York Times, which reported that he was charged with fraud in Brazil after he was caught writing a check with a stolen checkbook. “I am not guilty here, in Brazil, or in any jurisdiction in the world,” Santos told the Post.
In November, Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman to win the New York district seat held by Democrat Tom Suozzi, who ran for governor this year.
This Tuesday, Zimmerman asked Santos to step down and face him in a special election.
“Confront voters with your true past and answer questions about your criminal background,” the Democrat wrote on Twitter. “Let the voters decide.”
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.