Federal prosecutors in New York have opened an investigation into Rep.-elect George Santos, two law enforcement sources confirmed to NBC News on Thursday.
The investigation by federal prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York is at least the second probe into the newly elected Republican, who acknowledged earlier this week that he had fabricated and «embellished» various claims about his background related to his education and background. labor.
The investigation is said to be in its early stages and has not yet focused on any allegations of wrongdoing, but the two sources confirmed that prosecutors are looking into Santos’s finances, including possible irregularities related to financial disclosures and loans he made to his campaign while running for Congress.
Danielle Hass, a spokeswoman for the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, declined to comment.
A spokesman for Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ABC News first reported the federal investigation into Santos.
Santos is also under investigation by the Nassau County District Attorney. The focus of that investigation is unclear at this time, but District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said in a statement Wednesday that the «numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-Elect Santos are nothing short of staggering.»
«No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute,» added the Republican prosecutor.
Last week, the New York attorney general’s office said it was «investigating a number of matters» related to Santos. However, the office did not confirm whether it had opened an official investigation.
Questions about Santos’ background came to light earlier this month when The New York Times published a bombshell. research stating that much of his resume appeared to have been fabricated, including claims that he owned numerous properties, had previously been an employee of Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and had graduated from Baruch College.
The report also raised questions about how Santos was able to loan his 2022 campaign $700,000 after he claimed on a 2020 campaign finance form that he was making $55,000 a year.
During several media appearances this week, Santos acknowledged but downplayed the fabrications. he told the New York Post in an interview on Monday that “My sins here are embellishing my resume. I’m sorry.»
Santos’ campaign files indicated he made millions of dollars in 2021, and he told the news site traffic light in an article published Wednesday that he legitimately made his money through his company’s «introduction» business.
Separately, the media The front had disputed a claim on Santos’s campaign website that his grandparents «fled Jewish persecution in the Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during World War II.» The outlet also noted that Santos had called himself a «proud jewish americanin a position paper that was shared with Jewish and pro-Israel leaders during his campaign.
In his interview with the Post, Santos said: «I never claimed to be a Jew.»
«I am Catholic. Since I found out that my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said that I was ‘Jewish,'» he added.
Some House Democrats have called for Santos’ resignation. House Republican leaders, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, who is fighting to become speaker of the new Congress with a minimal Republican majority, have not responded to requests for comment on Santos.
Nick LaLota, another recently elected Republican congressman from New York, said in a declaration on Tuesday that he believed that «a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee and, if necessary, law enforcement is required. New Yorkers deserve the truth, and House Republicans deserve the chance to govern without this distraction.»