Democratic lawmaker writes op-ed on Santos: House ‘hijacked by yet another liar, cheat and fraud’

Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres (N.Y.) in a new op-ed wrote that the House has been “hijacked by yet another liar, cheat and fraud,” in reference to fellow Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who is currently facing various probes into his lies to voters and his campaign financing.

In a piece published by NBC News on Tuesday, Torres made a reference to his childhood growing up in the Bronx, drawing parallels between Santos and another New York City product, former President Trump.

“As a native New Yorker who grew up in a public housing development across the street from Donald Trump’s gilded golf course, I know what it’s like to have the neighborhood you love hijacked by a man who is deceitful to the core,” Torres wrote in his op-ed.

“Now, as I begin my second term in Congress representing the good people of the Bronx, I find myself in an institution that I love hijacked by yet another liar, cheat and fraud.” 

Torres wrote that the modern GOP has been “hijacked by arsonists bent on burning down everything around them,” noting how the party would rather focus on power politics than ethical standards. 

“But as someone who takes my oath seriously, I write to say the truth must matter. This cannot and should not be a partisan issue. There is a difference between right and wrong. And the American people deserve to be represented by someone of integrity,” Torres wrote.

“As elected officials, we cannot ask our constituents to abide by rules we ourselves will not follow as a legislative body.” 

Newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has shown little interest in punishing Santos as he works to wrangle a slim House majority.

Torres is among a chorus of Democrats — along with New York officials on both sides of the aisle — who have called for Santos to resign from Congress. 

Santos, who defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in New York’s 3rd Congressional District in November’s midterm elections, is facing investigations from federal authorities over potential campaign finance violations and an investigation from Nassau County over his fabrications and lies during his campaign. 

Santos’s lies range from inventing his professional resume as a Wall Street financier, claiming to be Jewish and have grandparents who escaped the Holocaust, claiming to have played volleyball for a university he did not attend and stating that he ran a charity that saved animals.

Despite the calls for his resignation, Santos has remained defiant. The House GOP leadership on Tuesday assigned the 34-year-old lawmaker to two committees related to small business and science.

Torres, along with fellow New York Rep. Dan Goldman (D), earlier this month introduced legislation called the Santos Act that would require potential candidates to file more information about themselves when running for public office.