George Santos Posts Defiant Message After NY Republicans Call On Him To Resign

Amanda PrestigiacomoJanuary 11, 2023

Rep. George Santos (R-NY), posted a defiant tweet to Twitter Wednesday following The Nassau County Republican Committee’s and other elected GOP officials from New York Called Santos to immediately quit office Public trust can be broken.

Santos, who beat Robert Zimmerman, Democratic candidate, during the 2022 midterm election, was repeatedly accused of misleading himself on campaign trails.

“I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living,” Santos posted online. “I will NOT resign!”

To serve the people of, I was elected. #NY03 It’s not the party and politicians. However, I am determined to continue doing that. I regret to hear from local officials that they refuse to work alongside my office to deliver results for our community and lower our cost of living.

I will not resign!

— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) January 11, 2023

Santos also responded to criticisms by telling Adam Kinzinger (R IL), “Go on [CNN] and cry about it,” Kinzinger had told Santos that he was going to “Resign now.”

Continue reading @CNN It is a great cause for celebration https://t.co/2FNmnc0W6n pic.twitter.com/ppMghdn0ao

— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) January 11, 2023

Earlier in the day, the embattled Republican similarly told ABC News reporter Rachel Scott he would not resign.

🚨Rep. George Santos tells @rachelvscott and me he will NOT resign pic.twitter.com/vBMvotq3Y0

— Lalee Ibssa (@LaleeIbssa) January 11, 2023

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose reaction to the Santos news was watched closely, told CNN on Wednesday that it’s voters’ decision on whether the freshman Republican stays or goes.

“Kevin McCarthy won’t join NY GOP leaders who are calling on Santos to resign. Says it’s up to the voters,” CNN’s Manu Raju reported.

“He has to answer to the voters,” McCarthy reportedly said.

“If Santos were to resign, it would set up a special election in a NY district that could flip to the Democrats,” Raju noted.

Kevin McCarthy won’t join NY GOP leaders who are calling on Santos to resign. Says it’s up to the voters. “He has to answer to the voters,” he told reporters. If Santos were to resign, it would set up a special election in a NY district that could flip to the Democrats

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 11, 2023

During a press conference on Wednesday morning, Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo said the Santos campaign was one of “deceit, lies, and fabrication,” adding that the freshman congressman has “disgraced the House of Representatives” and is no longer welcome at the Nassau County Republican Committee.

Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, representing New York’s 4th congressional district, also called on Santos to resign.

Further, two New York House Democrats filed a complaint Tuesday urging the Ethics Committee to open an investigation into Santos allegedly failing to file timely and accurate financial disclosure reports, according to The Hill.

Santos, who ran as openly gay, has been accused of omitting a past marriage to a woman. The GOP congressman also declared in his campaign biography that he worked at the Wall Street firms Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, but both companies told CNN and The New York Times that they have no record of him working there.

In another unconfirmed aspect of the congressman’s past, Santos said that he founded and ran a charity called “Friends of Pets United.” CNN reported that a search showed that there appears to be no record of the non-profit organization, according to the IRS.

There’s also a question concerning Santos involving his claimed Jewish ancestry. The Forward reported last month that the congressman lied when he said that his grandparents fled anti-Jewish persecution during World War II. Instead, a genealogical search showed his mother’s parents were born in Brazil instead of Ukraine or Belgium, as his campaign website asserted, according to The Forward.

Dillon Burroughs contributed to this report.