Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., refused to resign from Congress on Wednesday after Nassau County Republican leaders called on him to step down over revelations that he lied about his qualifications.
Santos has faced growing calls for his resignation since his résumé was proven to be false after winning the midterm elections. The Nassau GOP, which operates within Santos’ congressional district, is the first major Republican group to call for Santos’ resignation.
“George Santos campaign last year was a campaign of deceit, lies, and fabrication,” Nassau County GOP Chairman Joe Cairo said in a statement. “He has no place on the Nassau County Republican committee, nor should he serve public service, nor as an elected official. He’s not welcome here at GOP HQ.”
When contacted by Fox News Digital on Wednesday morning, Santos said he had no comment. He later told reporters on Capitol Hill that he “will not” resign and tweeted out a statement.
EMBATTLED GOP REP.-ELECT GEORGE SANTOS FIRES BACK AT NEW YORK TIMES AFTER BIOGRAPHY QUESTIONED
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told Fox News Digital that he hopes Santos’ refusal to resign turns out to be “just another lie.”
“I have a member of the House of Representatives that represents roughly half of the county of Nassau that I can’t trust. And it’s untenable to deal with somebody that, you know, you know is not going to tell you the truth,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital in an interview. “So, from a governmental standpoint, that that’s a big problem. With respect to our residents, obviously, they’ve lost confidence in George Santos. And this is somebody that’s completely delusional. And quite frankly, needs help.”
“Americans are very forgiving people, and a lot of people get a second chance, but he’s not going to get a second chance if he continues to sit in Congress and be a stain upon the House of Representatives,” he added.
Santos’ fabrications on his resume weren’t reported by The New York Times until after the election. Robert Zimmerman, a Democrat, reportedly lost to Santos by a 54 to 46 percent margin.
“I think both parties have work to do going forward on their vetting process. Obviously, our chairman indicated that he was changing his process. And, you know, you have to wonder where the opposition research was,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital. “So the bottom line is, I think that both parties have learned a valuable lesson.”
The New York State Conservative Party also joined the GOP’s call for Santos’ resignation later Wednesday, according to a statement from party chairman Gerard Kassar.
“The New York State Conservative Party stands with Nassau County Republicans in calling on newly elected Rep. George Santos to resign,” Kassar said. “Mr. Santos’ profound use of mistruths as a candidate morally disqualifies him from serving in public office and exposes him to potential legal action.”
“It is my hope… that Mr. Santos will voluntarily tender his resignation out of respect for the public and the institution to which he was elected under false pretenses,” he continued.
Santos is embroiled in multiple local, federal and international investigations regarding allegations of fraud and fabricating his past. Nevertheless, he was present on the House floor during last week’s battle over the speakership and could be seen sitting alone toward the back of the chamber busying himself on his phone.
During his congressional campaign, Santos falsely claimed he graduated from college with degrees in finance and worked for Goldman Sachs and Citibank. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly opened an investigation into Santos in late December.
“The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-elect Santos are nothing short of stunning,” Donnelly said in a statement. “The residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress. No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it.”
Multiple House Democrats have called on Santos to resign over the revelations, and his midterm opponent Robert Zimmerman has demanded a rematch. Some Republicans have even said Santos should “consider” resigning.
Santos’ legal troubles have recently expanded beyond the borders of the U.S. Brazilian prosecutors announced plans to revive fraud charges against him last week. The charges are related to allegations of a stolen checkbook.
Prosecutors say the case had been dead for nearly a decade due to Brazilian authorities being unable to locate Santos.
Brazilian prosecutors are reportedly working with the U.S. Justice Department to inform Santos of the charges. Santos did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Aishah Hasnie, Sara Ballou and Andrew Murray contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.