»George Santos now maintains he has “lived an honest life” as calls for him to resign increase«
Disgraced Long Island Rep. George Santos is not only refusing to resign, but also promising to run again, despite being caught in a series of lies and claiming to have “lived an honest life.”
In a podcast interview with fellow scandal-plagued Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), in which Santos addressed growing calls for his resignation, the under-fire freshman politician made the baffling remark on Thursday.
“I’ve worked my entire life — I’ve lived an honest life,” Santos, 34, said Gaetz, who downplayed the manner his fellow Republican “embellished his resume” by stating that it’s a common practice among lawmakers.
“I’ve never been accused of wrongdoing,” continued Santos, who is under investigation at the municipal, state, and federal levels in relation to the finance of his House race, as well as in Brazil for alleged check fraud.
Santos reportedly pledged to run for re-election in 2024, despite calls for him to resign from his fellow New York Republicans and former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who told CNN Thursday night that Santos’ “fraudulent candidacy” had “duped his voters.”
Santos made the questionable boast during a Thursday conversation with fellow scandal-plagued Republican Representative Matt Gaetz.
Real America’s Voice
“I came here to serve the people, not politicians and party leaders,” Santos told Steve Bannon’s “The War Room” podcast guest presenter Gaetz.
“I was elected by 142,000 individuals — until those same 142,000 individuals tell me they no longer want me… “We will learn in two years,” he remarked.
Santos first revealed to The Post on December 26 that he had lied about graduating from Baruch College and NYU and worked for prominent investment firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup throughout his campaign.
A month after acknowledging to The Post that he had lied, Santos said he had “led an honest life.”
During the campaign, he also made false claims about his personal background, including that he was a “proud American Jew” and that his ancestors had escaped Nazi persecution in Europe.
Gaetz frequently rejected Santos’ admitted lies, stating at one point, “Resume embellishment is not a crime; it’s how many people get elected to Congress.”
The Florida guy said with a smile, “If we didn’t have people on committees who embellish their resumes to run for Congress, we probably wouldn’t have a quorum in any of those committees.”
Santos brushed off rising calls for his resignation, pledging to “deliver 110%” and to run for re-election in 2024.
When Santos was asked about rumors that he had contributed more than $700,000 to his own campaign, he used the opportunity to criticize President Biden and his disgraced son Hunter.
“Let me tell you where [his campaign funds] did not come from: China, the Ukraine, or Burma. How about that?” he added with a sneer, referring to the nefarious dealings of the heir apparent.
“Didn’t come from Burma, Ukraine, Russia, or China,” he continued confidently, “unlike some people we all know who receive money from these sources.”
Santos has committed to “deliver 110%” on his election pledges.
He remarked, “I’ll outwork any pundits and talking heads who say I should resign because I’m unfit for office.”
“Because I outwork each and every one of the individuals urging me to resign, I have beaten them by twice their margins.”
Gaetz used the conversation to make light of his own troubles, including a federal investigation into sex trafficking.
The Florida senator told Santos with a grin, “One thing I know about this town is that they come for the fighters.”
“I would ask you what it’s like to be an embattled congressman, but I’m somewhat familiar with the situation.”
Gaetz explained to listeners and viewers that Bannon was “on assignment” and so unable to host the talk.
He did not, however, disclose that the former strategist for then-President Donald Trump was in court in Manhattan on Thursday for the next hearing in his fraud trial related to the “We Build The Wall” fundraising scam.
»George Santos now maintains he has “lived an honest life” as calls for him to resign increase«