Latest news with #Jew-ish
Mint
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
George Santos is the congressman America deserves
Editor's note: On May 10th federal prosecutors in New York unveiled 13 criminal charges against Mr Santos. The charges include wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying to the House of Representatives. Mr Santos pled not guilty. This story was originally published on 17 January 2023. Why do the many lies of George Santos matter? Maybe some of Mr Santos's constituents, in a district stretching along the North Shore of Long Island, voted for him in November because they were impressed he was a volleyball star at Baruch College and worked at Goldman Sachs, though none of that is so. Maybe they voted for him because he claimed to be Jewish, though he says now, with Seinfeldian sangfroid, that he meant only that he was 'Jew-ish'. If such qualities did in fact seem like reasons enough to cast a ballot for someone, well, the voters deserve what they got. But those qualities were probably not why most voters supported him. During the campaign his opponent raised doubts about his biography, as did a local newspaper, the North Shore Leader, which noted an 'inexplicable' leap in his reported assets from zero to about $11m in two years. The national press exposed some of his shady business dealings, and Democrats branded him a 'flat-out liar'. The Leader went on to endorse the Democratic candidate, saying it wanted to support a Republican but that Mr Santos 'is so bizarre, unprincipled and sketchy that we cannot'. What seems certain is that, unlike the Leader, the majority of voters in New York's third district, which includes part of Donald Trump's home borough of Queens, did prefer a Republican regardless of how sketchy he might be. They were swept up in a wave of discontent that washed through the Democrat-dominated, troubled state of New York. The Republican agenda appealed to them, and Mr Santos, in his first votes, has supported it. But there is an even more troubling frame in which to view what Mr Santos calls his 'résumé embellishment'. The voters also preferred Mr Santos, by a margin of more than seven points, at least in spite of—though probably because of—a much more destructive and transparent whopper that he told, that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election. After running for the same seat in 2020 and losing, Mr Santos appeared at a rally in Washington on January 5th 2021, the day before the attack on the Capitol, to declare that his own election, along with Mr Trump's, had been stolen. Calling Mr Trump 'the best president in modern history since Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan', Mr Santos asked, 'Who here is ready to overturn the election for Donald J. Trump?' As a teller of tall tales, the man was not exactly hiding his light under a bushel. 'You can't make this stuff up!' Mr Santos declared at that rally— surely a contender for his most shameless lie. This is why the outrage of the press and the Democrats over Mr Santos is so poignant. Since he ran again, and won, they have not just torn away his veil of autobiographical humbug but turned his deceit into a national scandal. Yet given Mr Trump's enduring success at warping reality, this blow for justice seems even less satisfying than catching Al Capone for tax evasion. It is more like hounding one of Capone's accountants for jaywalking. None of this excuses Mr Santos. His lies do matter, but not really for what they reveal about him. That such a person should represent Americans in Congress is a national disgrace. But it is also fitting, because he represents something true and awful, particularly about the Republican Party, yet also about America, a nation lousy with misinformation, also known as deceit. 'In law and in journalism, in government and in the social sciences, deception is taken for granted when it is felt to be excusable by those who tell the lies and who tend also to make the rules,' Sissela Bok, a philosopher, wrote in her landmark book 'Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life'. Writing in the late 1970s after the deceptions of Watergate and the Vietnam war, Ms Bok was trying to make sense of the collapse of trust in American institutions. Ms Bok added a new introduction a decade later, after the Iran-Contra affair, and another a decade after that, once President Bill Clinton admitted he had lied about sex with an intern. Now—in the wake of the Iraq war and Mr Trump, Bernie Madoff, Q-Anon and Sam Bankman-Fried, after social media has turned so many Americans into deceptive brand ambassadors for themselves—it may be time for a fourth introduction. Without trust in veracity—'a foundation of relations among human beings'—institutions collapse, Ms Bok wrote. She placed particular responsibility for the fraying of trust on politicians, partly because political lies, even when thought trivial by those who tell them, spread so far and are so widely imitated. 'When political representatives or entire governments arrogate to themselves the right to lie, they take power from the public that would not have been given up voluntarily,' she wrote. That is what Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House, is doing by defending Mr Santos as innocent until proven guilty of a crime. In prioritising his fragile majority, Mr McCarthy is conceding that power matters more to him than veracity. The speaker has blown a chance to restore some trust, in himself and Congress. Joe Biden has a chance of his own. He is not the résumé-embellisher he was when he first ran for president, in 1987, and claimed degrees and honours he had not earned. But he still tells the occasional fable about himself, and he has also lied at points about the economy and the pandemic. Now it appears the White House misled Americans by withholding news for two months that classified documents were found in Mr Biden's private office and home, the first of them almost a week before the midterms. There is no sign Mr Biden deliberately held back documents, as Mr Trump did. But unless the White House comes up with a better explanation for its long silence than it has so far, Mr Biden should own the deception, and apologise. Mr Biden is no George Santos or Donald Trump, but deceiving the public to advance a political agenda should not be graded on the curve. It is always wrong, and America could do with a demonstration of virtue in leadership.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: End of the lie: George Santos gets a well-deserved sentence
Less than 2½ years after George Santos rocketed from obscurity to being presented as the face of a young new GOP, the now-former Long Island con(gress)man has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for wide fraud and aggravated identity theft. It's a pitiful end to a bizarre situation. Everyone would've been better off if the Democrats and the press had exposed his total lies and had he lost that 2022 election. He never would've disgraced the Congress. He never would've been expelled, which violated all precedent and due process in the House, and he never would've been prosecuted and imprisoned. The con man's journey to convict began barely a month after his 2022 election, when the press belatedly revealed that he had lied about huge portions of his own biography, from his schooling, his employment and even his religion (his excuse on that one was that he claimed he was 'Jew-ish'), which led to a cascade of questions around his identity and financial dealings. For a period of months, it seemed like every week brought new revelations, that Santos had lied about his mom being at the World Trade Center during 9/11, that he'd been a volleyball star, and so on. This pathetic saga exposed a couple of things about today's press and politics; it showed that a person with no qualms about outright lying and fabrication could simply bluster his way to the United States Congress, and perhaps neither the political opposition nor a reduced local media apparatus would notice until it was too late. The Nassau County GOP machine failed to screen Santos. The Democrats failed to check on Santos. And the press, the Daily News included, failed to expose Santos in time. We all missed it and we all paid the price of having this schnook in Congress. Santos was expelled from Congress in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion and cast off to find for himself as prosecutors closed in. Santos made the grave error of not just lying about his background to voters — which while unethical and unsavory is not a crime — but embezzling donor funds for personal expenses and lying to Congress, among other things, which are chargeable offenses that have now resulted in his conviction. Having pled guilty, Santos has no ability to appeal. He'd apparently been banking on some leniency from his tearful remorse act before the judge, but this strategy unsurprisingly did not pan out for the avowed liar who outside the courtroom kept up his boisterous public persona. It seems likely now that Santos may go the Bob Menendez route, publicly auditioning for a pardon from a president that has shown himself very willing to dole them out to political supporters who campaign ardently enough for his favor. Needless to say, there should be no pardon. Santos is not just a con artist, but a con artist who betrayed the trust of his constituents and left them without effective representation for his entire time in office, and then the months after his expulsion. Everyone would have been better off had Santos never wormed his way into Congress, and letting him get off without consequences would just encourage more such brazen abuses of public trust. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
25-04-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
A timeline of the rise and fall of former US Rep. George Santos
Less than three years ago, George Santos was an up-and-coming Republican political star, flipping a House seat in New York City's suburbs. But he soon came under fire for lying about his life story, and on Friday, the now-former congressman was back on Long Island for a very different announcement: He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and theft. Nov. 8, 2022: Santos defeats Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the first known congressional election featuring two openly gay candidates. Dec. 19, 2022: The New York Times publishes a story questioning whether Santos fictionalized his resume. Dec. 26, 2022: Santos admits fabricating some details of his biography, including that he had a degree from Baruch College and had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Despite calling himself 'a proud American Jew" in a position paper, he insists he 'never claimed to be Jewish' but rather 'Jew-ish.' Dec. 28, 2022: Nassau County prosecutors say they have launched an investigation into Santos. January 2023: Santos is sworn into office. Questions surface about how he financed his campaign after filings offer contradictory accounts. Jan. 31, 2023: Santos steps down from his congressional committees but says he won't resign. February 2023: Revelations surface that Santos had been charged with stealing puppies in Pennsylvania in 2017 by using bad checks. The case was dismissed after Santos said the checks came from a checkbook that had been stolen from him. March 2, 2023: The House Ethics Committee announces an investigation into Santos. May 10, 2023: Santos is indicted and pleads not guilty to federal charges that he stole from donors and his campaign, collected unemployment benefits he didn't deserve and lied to Congress about his wealth. Oct. 10, 2023: A new indictment accuses Santos of stealing donors' IDs and making unauthorized charges to their credit cards. Santos pleads not guilty to the revised charges later that month. Nov. 16, 2023: The House Ethics Committee says in a scathing report on Santos that it amassed 'overwhelming evidence' of lawbreaking, concluding flatly that he 'cannot be trusted.' Dec. 1, 2023: Santos is expelled by the House on a vote of 311-114, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required. December 2023: Not long after being expelled from the House, Santos is found to be offering the public personalized video messages for up to $200 on Cameo. February 2024: Santos sues late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, alleging Kimmel deceived him into making Cameo videos that were used to ridicule Santos on the show. April 23, 2024: Santos drops his longshot, independent bid to return to Congress, a month after announcing his candidacy. His campaign committee reported raising no money in March 2024. Aug. 19, 2024: Weeks before the case was to go to trial, Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, blaming his ambition for clouding his judgment and saying he was 'flooded with deep regret.' The same day, a judge dismisses Santos' suit against Kimmel, saying the host's use of the Cameo videos for criticism and commentary was a fair use.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
A timeline of the rise and fall of former US Rep. George Santos
Less than three years ago, George Santos was an up-and-coming Republican political star, flipping a House seat in New York City's suburbs. But he soon came under fire for lying about his life story, and on Friday, the now-former congressman was back on Long Island for a very different announcement: He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and theft. Here is a timeline of his rise and fall: Nov. 8, 2022: Santos defeats Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the first known congressional election featuring two openly gay candidates. Dec. 19, 2022: The New York Times publishes a story questioning whether Santos fictionalized his resume. Dec. 26, 2022: Santos admits fabricating some details of his biography, including that he had a degree from Baruch College and had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Despite calling himself 'a proud American Jew' in a position paper, he insists he 'never claimed to be Jewish' but rather 'Jew-ish.' Dec. 28, 2022: Nassau County prosecutors say they have launched an investigation into Santos. January 2023: Santos is sworn into office. Questions surface about how he financed his campaign after filings offer contradictory accounts. Jan. 31, 2023: Santos steps down from his congressional committees but says he won't resign. February 2023: Revelations surface that Santos had been charged with stealing puppies in Pennsylvania in 2017 by using bad checks. The case was dismissed after Santos said the checks came from a checkbook that had been stolen from him. March 2, 2023: The House Ethics Committee announces an investigation into Santos. May 10, 2023: Santos is indicted and pleads not guilty to federal charges that he stole from donors and his campaign, collected unemployment benefits he didn't deserve and lied to Congress about his wealth. Oct. 10, 2023: A new indictment accuses Santos of stealing donors' IDs and making unauthorized charges to their credit cards. Santos pleads not guilty to the revised charges later that month. Nov. 16, 2023: The House Ethics Committee says in a scathing report on Santos that it amassed 'overwhelming evidence' of lawbreaking, concluding flatly that he 'cannot be trusted.' Dec. 1, 2023: Santos is expelled by the House on a vote of 311-114, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. December 2023: Not long after being expelled from the House, Santos is found to be offering the public personalized video messages for up to $200 on Cameo. February 2024: Santos sues late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, alleging Kimmel deceived him into making Cameo videos that were used to ridicule Santos on the show. April 23, 2024: Santos drops his longshot, independent bid to return to Congress, a month after announcing his candidacy. His campaign committee reported raising no money in March 2024. Aug. 19, 2024: Weeks before the case was to go to trial, Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, blaming his ambition for clouding his judgment and saying he was 'flooded with deep regret.' The same day, a judge dismisses Santos' suit against Kimmel, saying the host's use of the Cameo videos for criticism and commentary was a fair use. April 25, 2025: Santos is sentenced in federal court to more than seven years in prison.
Epoch Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Former Rep. George Santos Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison
Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was sentenced on April 25 to more than 7 years in federal prison on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. The sentence of 87 months behind bars is what was requested by the Department of Justice. He was also ordered to pay almost $374,000 and more than $205,000 in restitution and forfeiture, respectively. Santos, who was charged in 2023, faced a minimum of two years and a maximum of 22 years behind bars. The former congressman, who represented New York's Third Congressional District, Santos pleaded guilty in August to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Related Stories 8/19/2024 4/24/2024 'I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,' he said upon pleading guilty. Following the hearing, Santos said he felt he had no choice but to admit wrongdoing. 'Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I'd take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do,' Santos told reporters. 'It's not only a recognition of my misrepresentation to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years.' Santos, while running for Congress, filed false reports with the Federal Election Commission that consisted of inflated campaign fundraising numbers in order to qualify for funding and logistical support from the Republican National Committee. His campaign falsely reported that Santos loaned $500,000 to the campaign. Additionally, Santos charged the credit cards of campaign donors without their permission. He also took $24,000 in unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic despite being employed. Moreover, Santos made false statements to the House of Representatives such as how much he had in assets. Santos was expelled from Congress on Dec. 1, 2023, following a House Ethics Committee The report also said that Santos 'continues to flout his statutory financial disclosure obligations and has failed to correct countless errors and omissions in his past FD Statements, despite being repeatedly reminded by the ISC and the Committee of his requirement to do so.' Santos initially filed to run as an independent to win back his seat in the 2024 election but dropped his campaign. Even before entering Congress, Santos was subject to controversy, having admitted to allegations about him fabricating parts of his personal and professional life. This included him claiming that he was Jewish—only for him to later say that he is 'Jew-ish.' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
