George Santos – live: ‘Ex-partner’ says Santos only cared about fame and power, as FEC filings raise questions

A Brazilian individual claiming to be Rep George Santos’ ex-boyfriend appeared on CNN on Thurdsay and said that Mr Santos only ever cared about “fame and power” and that he expects him to continue to reject calls for his resignation.

And on Tuesday, an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC drew questions from reporters and electoral law experts who noticed some pretty glaring issues.

For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

Elsewhere, in a newly-resurfaced interview, Mr Santos claimed that he met financier and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein a few times and pushed the conspiracy theory that he was “murdered” in prison.

Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking children. His death was ruled suicide.

Mr Santos then backtracked over his death altogether, claiming he may actually still be alive.

“I wouldn’t put it past me that he’s still walking around us and we’re all like, ‘Oh my god, the guy is alive,’ and we can’t tell,” he said. “You know what, it’s 2020, anything can happen.”

Key points

• George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

• Congressman’s amended FEC filing draws new questions

• George Santos claims he survived assassination attempt

• Voters want George Santos to resign, poll finds

• McCarthy says Santos could be ousted from Congress

George Santos now claims he survived assassination attempt

03:15 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP Rep George Santos has now come under scrutiny for claiming that he survived an unidentified assassination attempt.

The Republican, who has already admitted to making several lies during his run for Congress, made the wild allegation during an interview with Brazilian podcast “Rádio Novelo Apresenta” last month.

“We have already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police – a police escort standing in front of our house,” he claimed.

Mr Santos did not elaborate on the alleged hit plot and is not thought to have mentioned it publicly prior to this. During the interview he also claimed he was mugged in on Fifth Avenue in New York City and that his Florida home was vandalised.

Read more from Gustaf Kilander:

Video emerges of George Santos saying he’s the victim of an assassination plot

Santos FEC filing draws new questions

02:15 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues. For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

Santos delivers first House floor speech

01:15 , John Bowden

George Santos delivered a speech on the House floor on Wednesday, his first as a member of Congress.

Instead of addressing the myriad of scandals enveloping him on a near-daily basis, the New York Republican instead spoke in favour of a resolution condemning the actions of Iran’s government in the face of widespread protests.

Watch here:

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

00:30 , John Bowden

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint: ‘My pathological liar character can’t hold a candle to you!’

Thursday 26 January 2023 23:45 , John Bowden

Comedian Jon Lovitz has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

See the rest of their exchange in The Independent:

Comedians let rip as George Santos complains about ‘terrible’ impressions of him

McCarthy snaps at reporters when questioned about George Santos

Thursday 26 January 2023 23:00 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Thursday 26 January 2023 22:15 , John Bowden

Long Island’s Gold Coast is known to many as the backdrop for a story about a fictional character who concocted fabulous tales about his past to climb the ranks of New York’s high society in a ceaseless quest for the object of his desire.

I’m talking, of course, about George Santos.

Nearly 100 years after F Scott Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby in these same opulent shores, the 34-year-old Republican congressman has once again drawn the eyes of the world onto the eastward-stretching leg of New York City, and invited comparisons to the titular character of that Great American Novel along the way.

Where Jay Gatsby ultimately failed in his efforts, Santos succeeded in his. A man who repeatedly lied about his own history, from claiming his mother died on 9/11, to falsifying his education and net worth — not for love, but for donations, votes and influence — was elected to a seat in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.

So, how did he do it? How did he fool so many people? How did no one know? The truth is, many did. But no one listened to them.

The Independent’s Richard Hall reports from on the ground in Long Island:

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Santos is questioned about whether he’s following RuPaul’s ‘Drag Race'

Thursday 26 January 2023 21:30 , John Bowden

Congressman George Santos sure looked like he was nearing the end of his rope on Thursday when an activist encountered him in the halls of Congress and asked him if he was following the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Watch the amusing moment unfold here:

ICYMI: More footage of George Santos at drag show surfaces

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:45 , John Bowden

The Twitter account PatriotTakes, operated by political activists aligned with the Democratic Party, has surfaced another Brazilian news clip revealing George Santos in drag dancing with other drag queens. He has denied particpating extensively in the culture.

It isn’t exactly clear where the clip is from, but Mr Santos can be seen wearing the same costume he wore in the original pictures provided to TMZ and other news outlets by a drag queen who knew him at the time, Eula Rochard.

George Santos claims paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is ‘still alive’ in resurfaced 2020 interview

Thursday 26 January 2023 20:00 , John Bowden

Add George Santos to the list of members who find themselves part of Congress’s growing conspiracy caucus.

In a 2020 interview resurfaced this week by Insider, the House’s most controversial new member insists that paedophile and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in prison — only to minutes later suggest that actually, the shadowy financier may in fact be alive and well.

The interview was with right-wing podcast The Rory Sauter Show, which Mr Santos appeared on in August of 2020. It came as part of his first congressional run, which would end in failure months later.

Read more from John Bowden:

George Santos claimed paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is ‘still alive’ in 2020 interview

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Thursday 26 January 2023 19:15 , John Bowden

George Santos made waves on the political scene of Washington D.C. by flipping New York’s 3rd congressional district seat in the November midterms, a once reliable Democratic seat. But, soon, reports emerged that many things in his résumé and the life story told to the public wasn’t all strictly true. Santos is refusing to stand aside as the controversy mounts but how long can that position hold?

The Independent’s Senior US Correspondent Richard Hall visited Long Island and Nassau county to find out the truth, trying to track down the real George Santos.

Watch here:

Santos FEC filings draw alarm from experts

Thursday 26 January 2023 18:30 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues.

For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

Thursday 26 January 2023 17:45 , John Bowden

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Thursday 26 January 2023 17:00 , John Bowden

A majority of New Yorkers want embattled Republican Representative George Santos to resign amid a flurry of reports that he fabricated large parts of his life story, according to a new Siena College poll.

A total of 59 per cent of registered voters said Mr Santos should resign from Congress, with 64 per cent of Democrats saying he should. A plurality of Republicans – 49 per cent – want Mr Santos to resign as well. That comes despite the fact that Mr Santos flipped a district on Long Island that had voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Santos delivers first House floor speech

Thursday 26 January 2023 16:15 , John Bowden

George Santos delivered a speech on the House floor on Wednesday, his first as a member of Congress.

Instead of addressing the myriad of scandals enveloping him on a near-daily basis, the New York Republican instead spoke in favour of a resolution condemning the actions of Iran’s government in the face of widespread protests.

Watch here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

Thursday 26 January 2023 15:30 , John Bowden

Embattled New York Republican George Santos is “saddened” that his fellow party member John Kennedy called him “nutty as a fruitcake” and a “bunny boiler” – a reference to Glenn Close’s unhinged, psychotic character in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

Mr Santos responded to the Louisiana Republican’s comments on Tuesday. “I am saddened that a distinguished senator from the GOP, whom I’ve respected would use such derogatory language against me,” he said.

“Language like that is hurtful and divisive, and has no place in Congress,” he added.

Read the full story here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘bunny boiler’

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Thursday 26 January 2023 14:42 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Thursday 26 January 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

Long Island’s Gold Coast is known to many as the backdrop for a story about a fictional character who concocted fabulous tales about his past to climb the ranks of New York’s high society in a ceaseless quest for the object of his desire.

I’m talking, of course, about George Santos.

Nearly 100 years after F Scott Fitzgerald set The Great Gatsby in these same opulent shores, the 34-year-old Republican congressman has once again drawn the eyes of the world onto the eastward-stretching leg of New York City, and invited comparisons to the titular character of that Great American Novel along the way.

Where Jay Gatsby ultimately failed in his efforts, Santos succeeded in his. A man who repeatedly lied about his own history, from claiming his mother died on 9/11, to falsifying his education and net worth — not for love, but for donations, votes and influence — was elected to a seat in one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world.

So, how did he do it? How did he fool so many people? How did no one know? The truth is, many did. But no one listened to them.

The Independent’s Richard Hall reports from on the ground in Long Island:

In George Santos’s district, setting of The Great Gatsby, cries of ‘imposter’ abound

Treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign says he doesn’t work for him

Thursday 26 January 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

The treasurer named in George Santos’ campaign has said that he doesn’t work for the congressman, casting new doubts on his Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.

Thomas Datwyler, a campaign finance treasurer who has worked with many other political organisations, was named as treasurer of several fundraising committees associated with Mr Santos when they filed amended documents on Wednesday.

Mr Datwyler has spoken out to say that he does not work with Mr Santos and that the documents were submitted without his consent.

“On Monday, we informed the Santos campaign that Mr. Datwyler would not be serving as treasurer,” his attorney Derek Ross told ABC News.

“It appears that there’s been a disconnect between that conversation and the filings today, which we did not authorise.”

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint: ‘My pathological liar character can’t hold a candle to you!’

Thursday 26 January 2023 13:00 , John Bowden

Comedian Jon Lovitz has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

See the rest of their exchange in The Independent:

Comedians let rip as George Santos complains about ‘terrible’ impressions of him

WATCH: The imposter in Congress | On The Ground

Thursday 26 January 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp

George Santos made waves on the political scene of Washington D.C. by flipping New York’s 3rd congressional district seat in the November midterms, a once reliable Democratic seat. But, soon, reports emerged that many things in his résumé and the life story told to the public wasn’t all strictly true. Santos is refusing to stand aside as the controversy mounts but how long can that position hold?

The Independent’s Senior US Correspondent Richard Hall visited Long Island and Nassau county to find out the truth, trying to track down the real George Santos.

Watch here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

Thursday 26 January 2023 12:00 , John Bowden

Embattled New York Republican George Santos is “saddened” that his fellow party member John Kennedy called him “nutty as a fruitcake” and a “bunny boiler” – a reference to Glenn Close’s unhinged, psychotic character in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

Mr Santos responded to the Louisiana Republican’s comments on Tuesday. “I am saddened that a distinguished senator from the GOP, whom I’ve respected would use such derogatory language against me,” he said.

“Language like that is hurtful and divisive, and has no place in Congress,” he added.

Read the full story here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘bunny boiler’

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

Thursday 26 January 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp

George Santos’s colleagues in the House could end up being the final arbiters of judgement for the scandal-ridden New York Republican.

Despite wave after wave of revelations surrounding his past and present fictions and lies, the embattled congressman has remained adamant that he will remain in office. Even in the face of members of his own party calling for his ouster, Mr Santos has stood firm.

But none of that may matter if the machinations of the US House of Representatives conspire against him.

The Independent’s John Bowden has more:

Here’s how George Santos could still be removed from office

George Santos claimed Epstein may still be alive in 2020 interview

Thursday 26 January 2023 11:04 , Rachel Sharp

Embattled GOP congressman George Santos claimed in August 2020 that Jeffrey Epstein “could still be alive” – one year after the paedophile killed himself in his Manhattan jail cell.

In a newly-resurfaced interview, Mr Santos – who has already been caught out over several lies about his past, background and family – claimed that he met Epstein a few times and pushed the conspiracy theory that he was “murdered” in prison.

Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking children. His death was ruled suicide.

Mr Santos then backtracked over his death altogether, claiming he may actually still be alive.

“I wouldn’t put it past me that he’s still walking around us and we’re all like, ‘Oh my god, the guy is alive,’ and we can’t tell,” he said. “You know what, it’s 2020, anything can happen.”

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Thursday 26 January 2023 08:30 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Santos FEC filings draw alarm

Thursday 26 January 2023 06:45 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues.

For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

Kevin McCarthy leaves open possibility that Santos could be expelled

Thursday 26 January 2023 05:00 , John Bowden

Embattled New York Republican George Santos’ time in Congress could prove to be short-lived after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy addressed his potential removal from office.

GOP leader Mr McCarthy said at a press conference on Tuesday that the congressman will be ousted if the House Ethics Committee finds that he broke the law.

“If for some way when we go through Ethics and he has broken the law, then we will remove him,” he said.

“The American public in his district voted for him. He has a responsibility to uphold what they voted for, to work and have their voice here, but at any time, if it rises to a legal level, we will deal with it then.”

Kevin McCarthy reveals George Santos may be ousted from Congress

George Santos now claims he survived assassination attempt

Thursday 26 January 2023 03:15 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP Rep George Santos has now come under scrutiny for claiming that he survived an unidentified assassination attempt.

The Republican, who has already admitted to making several lies during his run for Congress, made the wild allegation during an interview with Brazilian podcast “Rádio Novelo Apresenta” last month.

“We have already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police – a police escort standing in front of our house,” he claimed.

Mr Santos did not elaborate on the alleged hit plot and is not thought to have mentioned it publicly prior to this. During the interview he also claimed he was mugged in on Fifth Avenue in New York City and that his Florida home was vandalised.

Read more from Gustaf Kilander:

Video emerges of George Santos saying he’s the victim of an assassination plot

ICYMI: More footage of George Santos at drag show surfaces

Thursday 26 January 2023 01:30 , John Bowden

The Twitter account PatriotTakes, operated by political activists aligned with the Democratic Party, has surfaced another Brazilian news clip revealing George Santos in drag dancing with other drag queens. He has denied particpating extensively in the culture.

It isn’t exactly clear where the clip is from, but Mr Santos can be seen wearing the same costume he wore in the original pictures provided to TMZ and other news outlets by a drag queen who knew him at the time, Eula Rochard.

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal in Brazil but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

Wednesday 25 January 2023 23:45 , John Bowden

A Brazilian drag artist who knew George Santos when he lived in the country revealed more about the congressman’s political past in a new interview with Insider.

Eula Rochard explained in her latest interview that Mr Santos had once been a proud supporter of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the current president of Brazil, who recently returned to office after successfully battling corruption charges he and his supporters argued were politically motivated.

The support for Lula and his history as a drag performer would be politically insignificant were it not for the conservative right’s current fixation on drag shows, drag performers as well as all LGBT Americans.

Read more from John Bowden:

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

Santos delivers first House floor speech

Wednesday 25 January 2023 23:15 , John Bowden

George Santos delivered a speech on the House floor on Wednesday, his first as a member of Congress.

Instead of addressing the myriad of scandals enveloping him on a near-daily basis, the New York Republican instead spoke in favour of a resolution condemning the actions of Iran’s government in the face of widespread protests.

Watch here:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Wednesday 25 January 2023 22:00 , John Bowden

A majority of New Yorkers want embattled Republican Representative George Santos to resign amid a flurry of reports that he fabricated large parts of his life story, according to a new Siena College poll.

A total of 59 per cent of registered voters said Mr Santos should resign from Congress, with 64 per cent of Democrats saying he should. A plurality of Republicans – 49 per cent – want Mr Santos to resign as well. That comes despite the fact that Mr Santos flipped a district on Long Island that had voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Santos FEC filings draw alarm

Wednesday 25 January 2023 21:13 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and within minutes reporters and electoral law experts were noticing some pretty glaring issues.

For starters, there’s two loans — for $500,000 and $125,000 — that are no longer identified as coming from Mr Santos’s personal funds, as they had been previously.

And then there’s the oddly high number of donations just under the $200 limit - an occurrence that immediately raised questions about their legitimacy.

It seems like the New York congressman has another set of questions to answer as the saga of his arrival in Washington continues.

George Santos says he isn’t lying about getting Covid

Wednesday 25 January 2023 19:51 , John Bowden

It seems like such a minor issue compared to the long list of embellishments and outright fabrications that George Santos concocted over his political career, but the congressman was able to prove one of his many now-questioned claims about himself to be true.

That’s right: George Santos really was one of the first Americans to be hospitalised with Covid-19 in March of 2020, when he was living in New York. Or, at least, it certainly appears that he was.

The congressman supplied several photos of himself in a hospital bed in some sort of isolation area as well as images of a positve Covid test to the DC-based insider news blog Semafor. Both the dates on the test and the metadata matched to March of 2020, according to the news site.

That would mean that Mr Santos was hospitalised as a result of the very first wave of Covid hitting the city — by no means a significant achievement. If anything, the story represents how it has become newsworthy when the New York Republican actually tells the truth, given the rarity of that occurring.

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

Wednesday 25 January 2023 19:00 , John Bowden

Embattled New York Republican George Santos is “saddened” that his fellow party member John Kennedy called him “nutty as a fruitcake” and a “bunny boiler” – a reference to Glenn Close’s unhinged, psychotic character in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

Mr Santos responded to the Louisiana Republican’s comments on Tuesday. “I am saddened that a distinguished senator from the GOP, whom I’ve respected would use such derogatory language against me,” he said.

“Language like that is hurtful and divisive, and has no place in Congress,” he added.

Read the full story here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘bunny boiler’

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint: ‘My pathological liar character can’t hold a candle to you!’

Wednesday 25 January 2023 18:15 , John Bowden

Comedian Jon Lovitz has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

See the rest of their exchange in The Independent:

Comedians let rip as George Santos complains about ‘terrible’ impressions of him

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Wednesday 25 January 2023 16:36 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Santos causes problems for Elise Stefanik

Wednesday 25 January 2023 15:30 , John Bowden

GOP caucus chair Elise Stefanik is facing new questions over her role in getting George Santos elected to Congress.

A New York Republican like Mr Santos, Ms Stefanik is facing new critcism from some of her own allies as a result of her efforts to find willing donors to help support Mr Santos’s successful congressional bid. Many are questioning why she put her support so strongly behind a candidate who appears to have made up almost his entire resume.

Read the report at CNN:

Kevin McCarthy reveals George Santos may be ousted from Congress

Wednesday 25 January 2023 14:47 , Eric Garcia

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that embattled freshman Republican Representative George Santos of New York will be removed from Congress if the House Ethics Committee finds that he broke the law.

But Mr McCarthy said that until then, he would support Mr Santos. Last week, the House Republican Steering Committee gave Mr Santos two committee assignments.

“You know why I’m standing by him? Because his constituents voted for him,” Mr McCarthy told reporters Tuesday evening. “I do not have the power simply because I disagree with somebody on what they have said that I remove them from elected office.”

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Wednesday 25 January 2023 14:00 , John Bowden

A majority of New Yorkers want embattled Republican Representative George Santos to resign amid a flurry of reports that he fabricated large parts of his life story, according to a new Siena College poll.

A total of 59 per cent of registered voters said Mr Santos should resign from Congress, with 64 per cent of Democrats saying he should. A plurality of Republicans – 49 per cent – want Mr Santos to resign as well. That comes despite the fact that Mr Santos flipped a district on Long Island that had voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Late-night comedians let rip as George Santos complains about their ‘terrible’ impressions of him

Wednesday 25 January 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp

A comedian has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

Read more here:

Comedians let rip as George Santos complains about ‘terrible’ impressions of him

McCarthy says Santos could be ousted from Congress

Wednesday 25 January 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Embattled New York Republican George Santos’ time in Congress could prove to be short-lived after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy addressed his potential removal from office.

GOP leader Mr McCarthy said at a press conference on Tuesday that the congressman will be ousted if the House Ethics Committee finds that he broke the law.

“If for some way when we go through Ethics and he has broken the law, then we will remove him,” he said.

“The American public in his district voted for him. He has a responsibility to uphold what they voted for, to work and have their voice here, but at any time, if it rises to a legal level, we will deal with it then.”

George Santos and the fascinating psychology of compulsive liars

Wednesday 25 January 2023 12:30 , John Bowden

Congressman George Santos seems to have lied about everything, from the straightforward to the utterly absurd.

Holly Baxter speaks to experts on lying — and reports on why we all become complicit when a prolific liar reels us in:

George Santos and the fascinating psychology of compulsive liars

Santos causes problems for Elise Stefanik

Wednesday 25 January 2023 11:00 , John Bowden

GOP caucus chair Elise Stefanik is facing new questions over her role in getting George Santos elected to Congress.

A New York Republican like Mr Santos, Ms Stefanik is facing new critcism from some of her own allies as a result of her efforts to find willing donors to help support Mr Santos’s successful congressional bid. Many are questioning why she put her support so strongly behind a candidate who appears to have made up almost his entire resume.

Read the report at CNN:

Santos’s FEC filing raises new questions about $500k campaign loan

Wednesday 25 January 2023 09:30 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and with it began the newest branch of this seemingly endless controversy.

The newly-sworn-in congressman has now admitted that two loans to his campaign, totaling $500,000 and $125,000, did not in fact originate from his personal funds, as previously claimed.

But even stranger is the lack of any information indicating where they are actually from — the new filings still indicate that the loans came “from the candidate” in some fashion, but no other facts are known for sure.

The loans could be related to a firm that The New York Times reported he had solicited political donations to, despite it not being registered with the FEC: RedStone Strategies.

Read more at The Daily Beast, which first flagged the filing.

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Wednesday 25 January 2023 21:35 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dressed down a reporter in the US Capitol during a press conference on Tuesday after the reporter questioned him over why he wasn’t doing more to punish George Santos for repeatedly lying to voters and the media.

CNN’s Manu Raju began the exchange on Tuesday by questioning Mr McCarthy over whether his resistance to calling for Mr Santos to resign, a step several of his GOP colleagues have taken, was due to his desire to protect a single-digit Republican majority in the chamber.

Then, a second reporter jumped in, asking why Mr McCarthy was not calling for Mr Santos to be stripped of committee memberships.

Watch Mr McCarthy’s response here:

Kevin McCarthy loses his cool at reporters questioning his backing of George Santos

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal in Brazil but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

Wednesday 25 January 2023 08:00 , John Bowden

A Brazilian drag artist who knew George Santos when he lived in the country revealed more about the congressman’s political past in a new interview with Insider.

Eula Rochard explained in her latest interview that Mr Santos had once been a proud supporter of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the current president of Brazil, who recently returned to office after successfully battling corruption charges he and his supporters argued were politically motivated.

The support for Lula and his history as a drag performer would be politically insignificant were it not for the conservative right’s current fixation on drag shows, drag performers as well as all LGBT Americans.

Read more from John Bowden:

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

ICYMI: More footage of George Santos at drag show surfaces

Wednesday 25 January 2023 06:30 , John Bowden

The Twitter account PatriotTakes, operated by political activists aligned with the Democratic Party, has surfaced another Brazilian news clip revealing George Santos in drag dancing with other drag queens. He has denied particpating extensively in the culture.

It isn’t exactly clear where the clip is from, but Mr Santos can be seen wearing the same costume he wore in the original pictures provided to TMZ and other news outlets by a drag queen who knew him at the time, Eula Rochard.

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘nutty fruitcake bunny boiler’

Wednesday 25 January 2023 06:18 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Embattled New York Republican George Santos is “saddened” that his fellow party member John Kennedy called him “nutty as a fruitcake” and a “bunny boiler” – a reference to Glenn Close’s unhinged, psychotic character in the 1987 movie Fatal Attraction.

Mr Santos responded to the Louisiana Republican’s comments on Tuesday. “I am saddened that a distinguished senator from the GOP, whom I’ve respected would use such derogatory language against me,” he said.

“Language like that is hurtful and divisive, and has no place in Congress,” he added.

Read the full story here:

George Santos ‘saddened’ after Republican senator calls him ‘bunny boiler’

Voices: Why Kevin McCarthy can’t quit George Santos

Wednesday 25 January 2023 05:00 , John Bowden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – let alone the rest of GOP leadership – likely can’t afford to abandon George Santos for one simple reason – math.

Had Mr Santos hailed from a redder district, it might be easier to give him the boot. But Mr Santos is one of 18 Republicans who represent a district that President Joe Biden won in 2022. Mr Biden won New York’s 3rd District by eight points and a Democrat previously held the seat. Mr Santos mostly won the seat by accident: Governor Kathy Hochul dramatically underperformed in Long Island in November’s election and Republicans won four seats in the area.

Mr Santos mostly reaped the benefits of Democratic incompetence in the region, and they would likely not be caught napping if the seat were to open up.

Read more:

Why Kevin McCarthy can’t quit George Santos

George Santos now claims he survived assassination attempt

Wednesday 25 January 2023 03:30 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP Rep George Santos has now come under scrutiny for claiming that he survived an unidentified assassination attempt.

The Republican, who has already admitted to making several lies during his run for Congress, made the wild allegation during an interview with Brazilian podcast “Rádio Novelo Apresenta” last month.

“We have already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police – a police escort standing in front of our house,” he claimed.

Mr Santos did not elaborate on the alleged hit plot and is not thought to have mentioned it publicly prior to this. During the interview he also claimed he was mugged in on Fifth Avenue in New York City and that his Florida home was vandalised.

Read more from Gustaf Kilander:

Video emerges of George Santos saying he’s the victim of an assassination plot

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Wednesday 25 January 2023 02:00 , John Bowden

A majority of New Yorkers want embattled Republican Representative George Santos to resign amid a flurry of reports that he fabricated large parts of his life story, according to a new Siena College poll.

A total of 59 per cent of registered voters said Mr Santos should resign from Congress, with 64 per cent of Democrats saying he should. A plurality of Republicans – 49 per cent – want Mr Santos to resign as well. That comes despite the fact that Mr Santos flipped a district on Long Island that had voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

George Santos complains about the comedians mocking him on late-night shows

Wednesday 25 January 2023 00:30 , John Bowden

Claiming that he had now been “enshrined in late night TV history” following a wave of impressions of him on various comedy shows, George Santos declared on Monday that those mocking him needed to step up their game.

It was a Trump-esque response to the very serious issues he has been caught lying about. And it provoked a response from one of those comedians: Former SNL star Jon Lovitz.

Read more:

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint over mockery

Santos’s FEC filing raises new questions about $500k campaign loan

Tuesday 24 January 2023 22:52 , John Bowden

George Santos filed an amended financial disclosure form with the FEC on Tuesday, and with it began the newest branch of this seemingly endless controversy.

The newly-sworn-in congressman has now admitted that two loans to his campaign, totaling $500,000 and $125,000, did not in fact originate from his personal funds, as previously claimed.

But even stranger is the lack of any information indicating where they are actually from — the new filings still indicate that the loans came “from the candidate” in some fashion, but no other facts are known for sure.

The loans could be related to a firm that The New York Times reported he had solicited political donations to, despite it not being registered with the FEC: RedStone Strategies.

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint: ‘My pathological liar character can’t hold a candle to you!’

Tuesday 24 January 2023 21:24 , John Bowden

Comedian Jon Lovitz has clapped back at Congressman George Santos after the New York Republican complained about the comedians appearing on late night talk shows to mock him after he was caught in a litany of lies.

“I have now been enshrined in late night TV history with all these impersonations, but they are all TERRIBLE so far. Jon Lovitz is supposed to be one of the greatest comedians of all time and that was embarrassing – for him not me! These comedians need to step their game up,” Mr Santos tweeted on Monday night.

“Finally!!! You’re honest about something!!!” Mr Lovitz responded on Twitter.

See the rest of their exchange in The Independent:

Comedian claps back after George Santos complaint over mockery

‘He was weird’: Publisher of Long Island newspaper that exposed Santos knew something was up years before election win

Tuesday 24 January 2023 19:45 , John Bowden

The publisher of a Long Island newspaper that wrote the first exposé on George Santos said he suspected the congressman’s bad motivations during their first meeting, which took place years before his election win.

Grant Lally, the publisher of the North Shore Leader, thought he was a “completely non-serious candidate” after meeting him in 2020, during Mr Santos’ first run for office.

“He was weird,” Mr Lally told The Independent. “He acted strangely, he boasted, and at the same time he seemed to bask almost like a child in the attention he was getting.”

Richard Hall has the story from the congressman’s backyard:

‘He was weird’: Publisher of local newspaper that exposed Santos had doubts years ago

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal in Brazil but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

Tuesday 24 January 2023 19:00 , John Bowden

A Brazilian drag artist who knew George Santos when he lived in the country revealed more about the congressman’s political past in a new interview with Insider.

Eula Rochard explained in her latest interview that Mr Santos had once been a proud supporter of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the current president of Brazil, who recently returned to office after successfully battling corruption charges he and his supporters argued were politically motivated.

The support for Lula and his history as a drag performer would be politically insignificant were it not for the conservative right’s current fixation on drag shows, drag performers as well as all LGBT Americans.

Read more from John Bowden:

Drag artist claims George Santos was liberal but ‘went crazy’ when he moved to US

Santos causes problems for Elise Stefanik

Tuesday 24 January 2023 18:15 , John Bowden

GOP caucus chair Elise Stefanik is facing new questions over her role in getting George Santos elected to Congress.

A New York Republican like Mr Santos, Ms Stefanik is facing new critcism from some of her own allies as a result of her efforts to find willing donors to help support Mr Santos’s successful congressional bid. Many are questioning why she put her support so strongly behind a candidate who appears to have made up almost his entire resume.

Read the report at CNN:

ICYMI: More footage of George Santos at drag show surfaces

Tuesday 24 January 2023 17:30 , John Bowden

The Twitter account PatriotTakes, operated by political activists aligned with the Democratic Party, has surfaced another Brazilian news clip revealing George Santos in drag dancing with other drag queens. He has denied particpating extensively in the culture.

It isn’t exactly clear where the clip is from, but Mr Santos can be seen wearing the same costume he wore in the original pictures provided to TMZ and other news outlets by a drag queen who knew him at the time, Eula Rochard.

George Santos and the fascinating psychology of compulsive liars

Tuesday 24 January 2023 16:45 , John Bowden

Congressman George Santos seems to have lied about everything, from the straightforward to the utterly absurd.

Holly Baxter speaks to experts on lying — and reports on why we all become complicit when a prolific liar reels us in:

George Santos and the fascinating psychology of compulsive liars

George Santos complains about the comedians mocking him on late-night shows

Tuesday 24 January 2023 15:59 , John Bowden

Claiming that he had now been “enshrined in late night TV history” following a wave of impressions of him on various comedy shows, George Santos declared on Monday that those mocking him needed to step up their game.

It was a Trump-esque response to the very serious issues he has been caught lying about.

Read more:

George Santos complains about the comedians mocking him on late-night shows

White House press corps bursts out laughing at George Santos at briefing

Tuesday 24 January 2023 15:30 , John Bowden

The press corps burst out laughing at the question of whether George Santos was invited to the reception for new members of Congress at the White House.

On Monday during the White House press briefing, a reporter asked if the administration has “any guidance on how many new members the president intends to have?”

It was then that another reporter brought up whether Mr Santos would be attending.

Watch the moment here:

White House press corps bursts out laughing at George Santos at briefing

Santos leaves out coffee and donuts for stakeout reporters

Tuesday 24 January 2023 15:00 , John Bowden

George Santos’s “surprise” for the reporters staking out his office is finally revealed: He bought donuts!

It’s a very anticlimactic end to the latest episode of the increasingly strange saga of America’s most controversial congressman.

George Santos now claims he survived assassination attempt

Tuesday 24 January 2023 14:30 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP Rep George Santos has now come under scrutiny for claiming that he survived an unidentified assassination attempt.

The Republican, who has already admitted to making several lies during his run for Congress, made the wild allegation during an interview with Brazilian podcast “Rádio Novelo Apresenta” last month.

“We have already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police – a police escort standing in front of our house,” he claimed.

Mr Santos did not elaborate on the alleged hit plot and is not thought to have mentioned it publicly prior to this. During the interview he also claimed he was mugged in on Fifth Avenue in New York City and that his Florida home was vandalised.

Read more from Gustaf Kilander:

Video emerges of George Santos saying he’s the victim of an assassination plot

George Santos ‘surprise’ revealed

Tuesday 24 January 2023 14:00 , David Taintor

George Santos promised a “surprise” for reporters at his office upon Congress returning this week. Turns out, the surprise was Dunkin Donuts outside. Reporters noticed a box of doughnuts and coffee set out.

Voices: Why Kevin McCarthy can’t quit George Santos

Tuesday 24 January 2023 13:00 , Eric Garcia

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – let alone the rest of GOP leadership – likely can’t afford to abandon George Santos for one simple reason – math.

Had Mr Santos hailed from a redder district, it might be easier to give him the boot. But Mr Santos is one of 18 Republicans who represent a district that President Joe Biden won in 2022. Mr Biden won New York’s 3rd District by eight points and a Democrat previously held the seat. Mr Santos mostly won the seat by accident: Governor Kathy Hochul dramatically underperformed in Long Island in November’s election and Republicans won four seats in the area.

Mr Santos mostly reaped the benefits of Democratic incompetence in the region, and they would likely not be caught napping if the seat were to open up.

Read more:

Why Kevin McCarthy can’t quit George Santos

ICYMI: Even George Santos’ Twitter account is having issues

Tuesday 24 January 2023 11:30 , Eric Garcia

Late last week, Twitter appeared to suspend and then reinstate George Santos’ account – multiple times. The account flicked on and off before ultimately stabilising. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the outage. Mr Santos recently set up his official congressional Twitter account, as he gets up and running as a newly sworn in member of Congress.

Read more:

Confusion as Twitter appears to suspend and reinstate George Santos account

Santos causes problems for Elise Stefanik

Tuesday 24 January 2023 09:30 , John Bowden

GOP caucus chair Elise Stefanik is facing new questions over her role in getting George Santos elected to Congress.

A New York Republican like Mr Santos, Ms Stefanik is facing new critcism from some of her own allies as a result of her efforts to find willing donors to help support Mr Santos’s successful congressional bid. Many are questioning why she put her support so strongly behind a candidate who appears to have made up almost his entire resume.

Read the report at CNN:

From the first questions to GOP blowback : A timeline of George Santos’ many scandals

Tuesday 24 January 2023 08:00 , John Bowden

George Santos is officially a member of Congress following a marathon vote to select the GOP’s Speaker of the House and the swearing-in of the 118th Congress.

But it wasn’t even clear that he would make it this far: Dogged by surely one of the oddest scandals to hit American politics in the last few years, Mr Santos was facing calls for his expulsion and resignation even before he was seated as representative for New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

As Mr Santos concludes his first month in the chamber, let’s take a look back at how this scandal evolved, from the beginning to now:

From first questions to GOP rebukes : A timeline of George Santos’ many scandals

George Santos follows in Trump’s footsteps by complaining about the quality of the comedians mocking him

Tuesday 24 January 2023 06:30 , John Bowden

Claiming that he had now been “enshrined in late night TV history” following a wave of impressions of him on various comedy shows, George Santos declared on Monday that those mocking him needed to step up their game.

It was a Trump-esque response to the very serious issues he has been caught lying about.

‘He was weird’: Publisher of Long Island newspaper that exposed Santos knew something was up years before election win

Tuesday 24 January 2023 05:00 , Richard Hall

The publisher of a Long Island newspaper that wrote the first exposé on George Santos said he suspected the congressman’s bad motivations during their first meeting, which took place years before his election win.

Grant Lally, the publisher of the North Shore Leader, thought he was a “completely non-serious candidate” after meeting him in 2020, during Mr Santos’ first run for office.

“He was weird,” Mr Lally told The Independent. “He acted strangely, he boasted, and at the same time he seemed to bask almost like a child in the attention he was getting.”

Read more:

‘He was weird’: Publisher of local newspaper that exposed Santos had doubts years ago

George Santos finally admits to drag queen past: ‘Sue me for having a life’

Tuesday 24 January 2023 03:00 , John Bowden

George Santos appears to have confirmed that he dressed or performed in drag on at least one occasion — the newest eyebrow-raising development in the scandal that has consumed one of Congress’s most junior members.

The admission came as Mr Santos returned home over the weekend to New York, where the Nassau County-area Republican got a change of scenery from the mobs of reporters questioning him on Capitol Hill and was instead interrogated by local reporters in his home district.

He confirmed to a local ABC affiliate that he was indeed the drag performer known as “Kitara Ravache” pictured in now multiple images supplied to reporters by former acquaintances from his past life in Brazil.

Read more:

George Santos finally admits to drag queen past: ‘Sue me for having a life’

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

Tuesday 24 January 2023 01:30 , Eric Garcia

A majority of New Yorkers want embattled Republican Representative George Santos to resign amid a flurry of reports that he fabricated large parts of his life story, according to a new Siena College poll.

A total of 59 per cent of registered voters said Mr Santos should resign from Congress, with 64 per cent of Democrats saying he should. A plurality of Republicans – 49 per cent – want Mr Santos to resign as well. That comes despite the fact that Mr Santos flipped a district on Long Island that had voted overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden.

Read more:

Voters strongly favour embattled Rep George Santos resigning, poll finds

ICYMI: Every George Santos lie ... so far

Tuesday 24 January 2023 00:01 , John Bowden

It can be difficult keeping up with the list of fictions that George Santos has been accused of telling, admitted telling, or merely been caught spinning red-handed following a contradictory statement.

But, do not fret: The Independent is here, and we’re keeping track of the whole list of lies even as it continues to grow — both in number and in the sheer scale of the humiliation that it presents for not just Mr Santos, who remains adamant that he will serve two years in office as representative for New York’s third district, but for the Republican House caucus as a whole.

Read the latest from the talented Mr Santos below:

Every lie George Santos has been accused of making

Santos draws laughs at White House press briefing

Monday 23 January 2023 21:46 , John Bowden

Embattled GOP Rep George Santos provoked a laugh at Monday’s White House press briefing.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was speaking about new members of Congress being invited to meet the president, when a reporter quipped: “Is George Santos invited?”

The line drew a laugh from the room, and a remark from Ms Jean-Pierre: “I love how everybody laughed at that”.

Kinzinger: Santos is a ‘liar and a fraud'

Monday 23 January 2023 20:41 , John Bowden

One Republican who is not hesitating to denounce newly-elected Congressman George Santos is Adam Kinzinger, the former congressman who declined to run for reelection last year after serving on the January 6 committee.

Mr Kinzinger responded to the congressman’s promise of a “surprise” for journalists staking out his office with a simple rebuke on Sunday evening.