Santos has faced scrutiny over discrepancies in his employment and education history, as well as other public claims he has made about his biography…reports Asian Lite News
GOP Rep.-elect George Santos of New York admitted of lying about job experience and college education but claimed that he hasn’t committed any crimes and intends to serve in Congress, media reported.
In interviews with WABC radio and the New York Post – the first times Santos has spoken publicly about the controversy – he acknowledged that he had fabricated some facts, CNN reported.
Santos has faced scrutiny over discrepancies in his employment and education history, as well as other public claims he has made about his biography, it was reported.
Speaking to New York Post, Santos said: “My sins here are embellishing my resume. I’m sorry.”
“I campaigned talking about the people’s concerns, not my resume,” Santos said, adding that he intends to “deliver on the promises” made during the campaign.
The New York Times raised questions last week about the life story that Santos, 34, had presented during his campaign.
The Queens resident had said he had obtained a degree from Baruch College in New York, but the school said that couldn’t be confirmed, the Associated Press reported.
On Monday, Santos acknowledged: “I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning. I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume.”
He added: “I own up to that. … We do stupid things in life.”
Santos had also said he had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, but neither company could find any records verifying that, the report added.
Santos told the Post he had “never worked directly” for either financial firm, saying he had used a “poor choice of words.”
He told the Post that Link Bridge, an investment company where he was a vice president, did business with both.
CNN’s KFile reported last week that claims by Santos that his grandparents “survived the Holocaust” as Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Belgium who changed their surname are contradicted by sources including family trees compiled by genealogy websites, records on Jewish refugees and interviews with multiple genealogists.
A lawyer for Santos had declined to comment to CNN.
Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in a newly drawn district covering parts of Queens and some nearby Long Island suburbs, flipping control to Republicans, it was reported.