CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A 13-count federal indictment was unsealed against Rep. George Santos on Wednesday, who surrendered to the FBI on Long Island before appearing at the courthouse in Central Islip.
Santos faces charges involving fraud in connection to his campaign last year for Congress.
The congressman, who pleaded not guilty, is resolute, telling reporters he’ll “keep fighting to defend his innocence,” and has no plans to step down.
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Despite that, calls are growing from within his own party to resign.
Long Island congressional colleague, Republican Rep. Nick LaLota, told Politico: “These charges bring us one step closer to never having to talk about this lying loser ever again.”
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Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park) took an even hard stance in his statement: “As a retired NYPD detective, I am confident the justice system will fully reveal Congressman Santos’ long history of deceit, and I once again call on this serial fraudster to resign from office.”
“I have no desire not to comply at this point,” Santos said.
Santos faces charges that include wire fraud, money laundering and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. One of the allegations involves unemployment benefits he received during the pandemic, while he was employed and running for Congress.
Prosecutors also allege that Santos had a scheme while having his congressional campaign where he allegedly defrauded prospective political supporters using a bank account that he controlled.
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Since taking office, Santos has been called out for lying on his resume and other personal aspects of his life. The indictment describes Santos’ alleged efforts to mislead the House and the public about his financial status in connection with each of his two Congressional campaigns.
In January, a disabled veteran claimed Santos stole $3,000 from a GoFundMe page used to support his ill dog.
Santos said he plans to fight the charges using “plenty of evidence” that will be shared with the government.
Democrat Robert Zimmerman, who lost the congressional race to Santos in November, is calling on Santos to resign but said he was not surprised that he doubled down outside the courthouse.
“Understand. This is a person with no sense of shame,” Zimmerman told Patch. “He’s a well-documented fraudster and criminal.”
But for Zimmerman, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate again for the 3rd District seat in 2024, the issue is not what Santos will do.
“What he says is irrelevant,” Zimmerman said. “The focus has to be on Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the Republican leadership in Congress. They are complicit in his conduct and they are accomplices to his crimes.”
Zimmerman said that is why it’s “imperative they expel him.”
One person who has officially declared himself for the race is Nassau County Legislator Democrat Josh Lafazan, who lost in the 3rd congressional district primary to Zimmerman.
Lafazan, who has been vocal about Santos’ allegations since they came to light, was one of the first to call on the congressman to step down following the indictment.
“Today confirms what we’ve known for five months — that George Santos is a liar and a fraud,” Lafazan told Patch. “If George Santos has one remaining ounce of dignity, he would do the right thing and resign.”
However, Lafazan is not expecting any changes coming from Santos. That would put the focus on McCarthy, who said in response to the indictment: “I think in America, you’re innocent till proven guilty.”
“McCarthy sets the rule. The very first thing that has to happen is McCarthy needs to show him the door, essentially,” Jody Kass with Concerned Citizens of NY-03 told Patch.
Lafazan, however, was less vague.
“He needs to move to expel him immediately,” he said.
Another reason for wanting Santos out of office is that he’s not able to properly serve his constituents from Nassau and Queens, some believe.
“He has never represented the will of the people, which is so fundamental to how our Constitution has set up our government,” Kass said.
More than 750,000 voters make up the 3rd congressional district, across northern parts of Queens and Nassau.
“They are entitled to deserve a member of Congress who’s there for them, working for them,” Zimmerman said. “George Santos has been missing in action since day one.”
Allowing Santos to remain in office, Zimmerman contended, “puts every Republican member of Congress in a toss-up district, in a very compromised position.”
Indeed, the ripples from Wednesday’s announcement could be felt beyond Santos. Suffolk County Republican Committee chairman Jesse Garcia said he agrees with his colleague from Nassau, Joseph Cairo that “Santos has lost the public’s trust, and is unfit for office. Every day [he] remains in office is another insult to the voters and the House of Representatives.”
That process now falls into McCarthy’s lap, and Lafazan thinks the Speaker would give in to others from his party, who won’t support a Santos reelection bid.
“Kudos to the Long Island Republicans who’ve spoken up, but we need 78 Republicans in this country to be patriots,” Lafazan said.
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