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Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., officially launched his re-election bid on Monday, despite a turbulent first term in which he was outed for lying about his personal biography, investigated by federal, state and congressional officials, and urged by fellow Republicans to resign.
Santos' official announcement made no reference to his innumerable controversies.
"I grew up poor with a single mom, and thanks to the American dream, a poor boy of immigrant parents in Queens can grow up to serve his community in the halls of Congress," Santos said in the announcement.
Perhaps, one day we'll meet that boy Santos raved about in his announcement, the boy who grows up to "serve his community." Because Santos, for his part, has done little other than bring shame to his community.
Santos’ troubles began to bubble up shortly after winning his election in Suffolk County, New York, last year, flipping a seat that had been held by a Democrat. Stories about him fabricating his personal and family history — including claims about his education and his so-called Jewish heritage — began to surface. In short order, Santos was exposed to the world as a fake.
Questions continue to persist about his finances, as well, including how Santos paid for large portions of his campaign with his own money and whether he defrauded donors. In February, the FBI opened an investigation into claims that Santos had bilked a Navy veteran out of money raised to cover medical care for the veteran's sick dog.
The man is a prolific liar, to such a degree that fellow New York Republicans in the House introduced legislation that would ban him from profiting off his fabrications if convicted of certain crimes.
“George Santos is a scam artist, and we New York Republicans are here to stop him,” Rep. Nick Lalota, R-N.Y., said while announcing the legislation, adding: “We New York Republicans can smell a scam from a mile away, and George Santos’ scam absolutely stinks."
The Santos stench wasn't enough to repel Republicans in 2022. They'll either hold their noses again in 2024, or toss him into the trash heap.
As for Democrats’ response to Santos’ re-election announcement, Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania probably summarized it best: "Frankly, I can think of no better representative of the modern day GOP’s stance on honesty and integrity than George Santos.”