愛污传媒

World

    • N.Y. Rep.-elect George Santos investigated for lying about his past

    Share
    NEW YORK -

    U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos of New York was under investigation by Long Island prosecutors on Wednesday, after revelations surfaced that the now-embattled Republican lied about his heritage, education and professional pedigree as he campaigned for office.

    Despite intensifying doubt about his fitness to hold federal office, Santos has shown no signs of stepping aside 鈥 even as he publicly admitted to a long list of lies.

    Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, a Republican, said the fabrications and inconsistencies were 鈥渘othing short of stunning.鈥

    鈥淭he residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress,鈥 she said. 鈥淚f a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.鈥

    Santos鈥 campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

    He is scheduled to be sworn in next Tuesday, when the U.S. House reconvenes. If he assumes office, he could face investigations by the House Committee on Ethics and the Justice Department.

    Santos suggested he does not plan to step aside in a Twitter post Wednesday about a visit to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy earlier in the day.

    鈥淚n Congress, I look forward to working alongside them to fully utilize this amazing resource we have in our own backyard in #NY03,鈥 the tweet said.

    The Republican has admitted to lying about having Jewish ancestry, a Wall Street pedigree and a college degree, but he has yet to address other lingering questions 鈥 including the source of what appears to be a quickly amassed fortune despite recent financial problems, including evictions and owing thousands in back rent.

    Fellow Long Island Republican, Rep.-elect Nick Lalota, said he was troubled by the revelations.

    鈥淚 believe a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement, is required,鈥 Lalota said Tuesday.

    The New York attorney general鈥檚 office has already said it鈥檚 looking into issues that have come to light.

    A spokesperson for the Nassau County DA鈥檚 office, Brendan Brosh, said Wednesday: 鈥淲e are looking into the matter.鈥 The scope of the investigation was not immediately clear.

    Other Republicans castigated Santos but stopped short of asking him to step aside.

    鈥淐ongressman-Elect George Santos has broken the public trust by making serious misstatements regarding his background, experience and education, among other issues,鈥 said Joseph G. Cairo, chair of the Nassau County Republican Committee, which is within the 3rd Congressional District.

    Questions intensified after The New York Times examined the narrative Santos, 34, presented to voters during his successful campaign for a congressional district that straddles the north shore suburbs of Long Island and a sliver of Queens.

    The Times uncovered records in Brazil that show Santos was the subject of a criminal investigation there in 2008 over allegations that he used stolen checks to buy items at an clothing shop in the city of Niteroi. At the time, Santos would have been 19. The Times quoted local prosecutors as saying the case was dormant because Santos had never appeared in court.

    Santos continued to deny that he was being sought by authorities in South America.

    Democrats pounced, calling Santos a serial fabulist and demanded he voluntarily not take office.

    In an interview with the New York Post earlier this week, Santos apologized for his fabrications but downplayed them as 鈥渟ins鈥 over embellishing his resume, adding that 鈥渨e do stupid things in life.鈥

    He admitted to lying about working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as well as having earned a degree in finance and economics from Baruch College in New York.

    Beyond his resume, Santos invented a life story that has also come under question, including claims that his grandparents 鈥渇led Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII.鈥

    During his campaign, he referred to himself as 鈥渁 proud American Jew.鈥

    He backtracked on that claim, saying he never intended to claim Jewish heritage, which would have likely raised his appeal among his district鈥檚 significant ranks of Jewish voters.

    鈥淚 am Catholic,鈥 he told the Post. 鈥淏ecause I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was 鈥楯ew-ish.鈥欌

    In a statement Tuesday, the Republican Jewish Coalition repudiated Santos.

    鈥淗e deceived us and misrepresented his heritage. In public comments and to us personally he previously claimed to be Jewish,鈥 the coalition said. 鈥淗e will not be welcome at any future RJC event.鈥

    On Fox News Tuesday night, Santos came under withering questioning by former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was sitting in for Tucker Carlson.

    鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really seem to be taking this seriously,鈥 she told him.

    鈥淵ou鈥檝e apologized, you鈥檝e said you've made mistakes, but you鈥檝e outright lied. A lie is not an embellishment on a resume,鈥 she said.

    鈥淟ook, I agree with what you're saying,鈥 Santos replied. 鈥淲e can debate my resume and how I worked with firms such as -鈥

    鈥淚s it debatable?鈥 Gabbard interjected. 鈥淥r is it just false?鈥

    鈥淣o, it鈥檚 not false at all,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 debatable.鈥

    Santos lost his first race for Congress in 2020 but successfully ran again this year.

    In its opposition research on Santos, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised several red flags about the Republican鈥檚 record 鈥 but also accepted some of his assertions, including his educational record, as fact. The 87-page dossier sought to tie him to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and his support for baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The report also sought to depict him as a far-right candidate. But buried within its report, the DCCC had raised issues about his shaky financial standing and multiple evictions that left him thousands of dollars in debt.

    Federal campaign records show that he loaned his campaign more than US$700,000, but the source of that money has yet to be explained.

    His Democratic opponent, Robert Zimmerman, also tried to raise Santos鈥 misrepresentations during his losing campaign, but it didn't gain much traction.

    Zimmerman has said Santos is unfit for office and has called for him to step aside so a special election can be held.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

    A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    Canada

    • Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.

    • Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.

    • A Real Canadian Superstore in B.C.'s Fraser Valley was evacuated Tuesday night due to a "suspicious" fire in the toilet paper aisle, according to authorities.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    • Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    • Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.

    Lifestyle

    • A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    • The Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park has undergone a $29-million makeover.

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    • Legend has it that on a dark evening in 1988, friends of Supt. Joe Atherton quietly buried his body on the site of the old provincial RCMP headquarters in Vancouver.

    • Since the record-breaking atmospheric river hit Metro Vancouver last Friday, 266 drivers have filed ICBC claims for water damage to their vehicles. In some places, flood water was so deep, cars floated away with the drivers still inside, and the engine running.

    • Brittany La Torre and her husband Marc moved into their West Vancouver home just six months ago, but after last weekend's storm brought a torrent of muddy water and debris into their basement, knocking out power, they're not sure whether they'll be living in it six months from now.

    • He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    • Brampton is looking to the federal and provincial government to address the growing number of its vulnerable international students being exploited and trafficked.

    • A proposed inner-city apartment complex development by Anthem Properties is raising concerns for some residents of Hillhurst and West Hillhurst.

    • A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    • Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.

    • One person has died and others have been injured after a two-vehicle collision involving a tractor trailer and a car on Highway 7 in eastern Ontario, according to police.

    • Homeowners with a variable rate mortgage in Ottawa can expect to see some savings thanks to a significant rate cut by the Bank of Canada.

    • A Zamboni driver in western Quebec has been arrested on suspicion of impaired driving after a low-speed crash at a hockey rink on Monday.

    • A pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a car in Saint-Michel Wednesday evening.

    • Nigel Berkley and CRARR plan to file complaints with the police ethics commissioner and the human rights commission after Berkley was repeatedly stopped while driving his mother's car over four months.

    • Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking re-election.

    • An Edmonton tow truck operator has been charged after police say he refused to release a vehicle to its owner.

    • The City of Edmonton has a long road ahead to replace aging ice arenas as demand for ice time increases.

    • The leader of Alberta's Official Opposition rolled up his sleeves for his COVID-19 and flu shots today, opting to receive them in front of media because he's concerned about vaccine uptake.

    • A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • A volunteer treasurer is facing charges after funds went missing from Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston鈥檚 riding.

    • A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    • A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that started after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.

    • A Manitoba inmate who was released from custody by mistake has been arrested, according to Winnipeg police.

    • Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal is defending his conduct and disagreeing with a recent report from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) 鈥 which found he broke rules that prohibit MLAs from being involved with government contracts.

    • Southey RCMP say drivers should expect delays on Highway 6 Wednesday night after a serious crash.

    • Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.

    • Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb鈥檚 home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.

    • A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.

    • Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.

    • The race to form government is heating up ahead of the provincial election on Monday. Both the Saskatchewan NDP and the Saskatchewan Party feel they have the momentum as each leader has been focusing on different areas of the province as the campaign trail nears its end.

    • Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    • The Saskatoon civic election is drawing closer, with mayoral candidates outlining their visions to keep the city competitive and attract businesses.

    • A Sudbury jury has found Felicity Altiman guilty of second-degree murder in the December 2020 stabbing death of a Sudbury man.

    • It only took minutes for North Bay pharmacist Brian Chute to be out $1,500 after fraudsters deceptively swapped his bank card with another.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • Under tough cross-examination at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911

    • A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.

    • OPP have confirmed that a transport truck driver crashed into a historic home just southeast of London this morning.

    • A haunted house in the Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.

    • Barrie police conducted a search on Wednesday of the last place Autumn Shaganash was seen in hopes of giving her family some answers to her mysterious disappearance.

    • A 34-year-old motorcyclist has died following a collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end on Tuesday.

    • Windsor Fire and Rescue Services has been working to prepare for heightened HAZMAT risk ahead of relaxed restrictions around the transportation of some hazardous materials across the Ambassador Bridge.

    • As hospitals elsewhere in Ontario reintroduce mask mandates due to rising respiratory illnesses, Windsor hospitals are taking a more measured approach.

    • Now that production is set to begin at Windsor鈥檚 battery plant, NextStar is looking for some employees to make that production happen.

    • Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.

    • When 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque was struck and killed in a crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich in 2021, the community was shaken to the core.

    • A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge鈥檚 Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.

    • A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.

    • As part of anniversary celebrations, the City of Lethbridge is inviting the community to see VisitLethbridge.com Arena like they never have before.

    • The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒