US House Representative George Santos (R-NY) criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams for his ongoing visit to Israel, which Santos said Tuesday was nothing more than Adams running away from his responsibility to handle New York City’s newfound migrant crisis.
“The mayor is in Israel, running away from the fact that this crisis is increasing,” the congressman said at a press conference Tuesday morning outside the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, where local officials have opened a center to house refugees.
Santos further claimed that Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul are colluding to place migrant shelters in Republican-majority districts like his, adding that the migrant centers should instead be placed in the districts of politicians that support lax immigration policies.
“Put it in Jamaal Bowman’s district, put it in AOC’s (Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s),” Santos said, referring to progressive New York City Democrats.
George Santos’ history of lying
Santos, who is under a 13-count federal indictment for alleged fraud and money laundering, became known for his serial lying and absurd controversies following his election in November 2022.
A December 2022 New York Times exposed that Santos fabricated much of his past, ranging from his work experience, his education, and Jewish heritage, among many others.
Santos, 35, claimed on his campaign website that his mother was Jewish and his grandparents escaped the Nazis during World War II, before later saying he was Catholic. In his campaign launch video for Congress, Santos stated “I’ve seen how socialism destroys people’s lives because my grandparents survived the Holocaust.”
Santos also claimed on his resume to work for high-profile Wall Street firms, though he actually worked for a company that did business with both Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Santos also claimed to have graduated from Baruch College in New York City, though he in fact did not graduate from any institution of higher learning.
Santos also registered to vote in two states in 2016 and was accused of potentially not being gay because he was married to a woman until 2020.
“The only person 'running away' is Representative Santos – once again, from the truth,” a rep for Mayor Adams, who is in Israel, said in a statement.
Haley Cohen and Gadi Zaig contributed to this report.