Incoming Rep. George Santos Apologizes for 'Embellishing My Resume': 'I Said I Was Jew-ish'

Mar. 15, 2025

George Santos.Photo: Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg via Getty

U.S. Rep.-electGeorge Santosis apologizing for fabricating several aspects of his past –– including his education, jobs and religious background — but says that it will not stop him from taking the oath of office on Jan. 3.

“My sins here are embellishing my resume,” Santos, 34, toldThe New York Poston Monday. “I’m sorry.”

In an interview with the publication, theincoming congressman said he lied aboutworking at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, as he had previously asserted, and revealed that he had also embellished his education, noting that he did not attend Baruch College or New York University.

“I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning,” he said on Monday to thePost. “I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume. I own up to that … we do stupid things in life.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

George Santos.Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty

On Monday, the New York man also denied that he had previously claimed he was Jewish.

“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos toldThe Post. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish.’ "

A report from Jewish newspaper Forward last week called into questionwhether his grandparents were actually Jewish immigrantswho fled persecution duringWorld War II.

The newspaper analyzed genealogical data from myheritage.com which seemingly showed that both of the New York representative-elect’s maternal grandparents were born in Brazil before the war, despite Santos having previouslylaid claim to Jewish heritageon his campaign website and throughout his campaign.

“George’s grandparents fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII,“Santos' website readlast week. (The About page containing the information has since been removed from his site.)

RELATED VIDEO: Incoming Rep. George Santos, Who Flipped a House Seat Red, Made Unsubstantiated Claims About His Past: Report

In addition to his education, work experience and religion,The Timesalso flagged other parts of his past.

In a story on Dec. 23, the outlet uncovered that he was a call center employee for Dish Network in 2012, found that his family frequently struggled to pay rent in Queens over the years, borrowed thousands of dollars from a friend which the acquaintance said he never repaid, and had a criminal history in Brazil that had never been resolved.

According to theTimes, Brazilian court records show that Santos had been charged with fraud at one point after writing hot checks. The publication also reported that he confessed to the crime and was charged but authorities were later “unable to locate him” for punishment.

“I am not a criminal here — not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world,” SantostoldThe Poston Monday.“Absolutely not. That didn’t happen.”

Santos, the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat as a non-incumbent, also admitted he had been married to a woman in the past — something else that he had previously not disclosed.

“I dated women in the past. I married a woman. It’s personal stuff,” he said, adding that he was “Okay with my sexuality. People change.”

George Santos.Sipa via AP Images

It continued, “After four years in the public eye, and on the verge of being sworn in as a member of the Republican led 118th Congress, the New York Times launches this shotgun blast of attacks. It is no surprise that Congressman-elect Santos has enemies at the New York Times who are attempting to smear his good name with these defamatory allegations.”

The statement concluded with a quote that was falsely attributed to former British Prime MinisterWinston Churchill: “As Winston Churchill famously stated, ‘You have enemies? Good, it means that you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.’ "

source: people.com