Rep. George Santos of New York says he “learned his lesson” and will be more truthful after revelations that he made up parts of his resume.
Mr. Santos, a Republican, stepped down this week from assignments to the House Small Business Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee after a private meeting with GOP lawmakers.
“I’ve learned my lesson and I can guarantee you that from now on anything, everything is always going to be above board,” Mr. Santos told the One America News Network.
Mr. Santos has been criticized and ridiculed over false representations about his background, including claims he worked at top financial institutions and was part Jewish. He’s resisted calls to step down from his Long Island seat and says his claims have “largely always been aboveboard.”
“I’m just gonna go the extra step now to double-check, cross-reference everything,” he told OANN.
Mr. Santos said he lied about earning his college diploma because he feared people would look down on him, but said he never lied about his finances.
“I’ve never had to establish or present falsehoods pertaining to my own finances,” he said. “I’m the first one to say [I’m] not doing that.”
Watchdog groups have filed complaints against the Santos campaign alleging problems with loans the congressman gave his campaign and reported disbursements.
The New York Times reported this week that Mr. Santos’ longtime treasurer, Nancy Marks, resigned in recent days, sparking a lack of clarity around campaign operations as the Federal Election Commission investigates.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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