In just two years, George Santos went from a relatively unknown candidate to a standout figure in the Republican Party’s surprising revival in a traditionally Democratic state.
As Mr. Santos prepares to take the oath in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, he faces a cloud of suspicion.
He has acknowledged fabricating key details about his education and career, following a New York Times investigation that revealed discrepancies in his résumé and raised concerns about his financial dealings.
Federal and local prosecutors are looking into whether he committed crimes related to his finances or misrepresented facts. New reports indicate that his deceitful behavior began well before he entered politics.
Mr. Santos will join Congress under significant pressure from both sides of the aisle.
Attempts to contact Mr. Santos have been unsuccessful; he has not replied to calls, texts, or emails regarding The Times’s reporting.
His lawyer recently dismissed inquiries about unusual campaign spending as “ludicrous.” Despite efforts to reach him for comments on the latest revelations about his past, Mr. Santos and his lawyer have not responded.
Members of his own party are demanding more detailed explanations, and Republican representative-elect Nick LaLota from Long Island has called for a House ethics investigation into Santos’s actions.