Santos ‘useless’ in the eyes of his residents

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The people of New York’s Congressional 3rd District are getting louder with their disapproval for the U.S. Rep. George Santos. Last Saturday morning, dozens of protestors gathered outside his reported district office in Douglaston, Queens — which remains closed and still sports an awning with the name of former Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi. 

Santos is under fire for alleged fabrications about his resume, which includes his employment at Wall Street firms such as Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, where he attended high school and his graduation from Baruch College, his income history, Jewish heritage, his animal charity and more. More recently, his campaign fundraising has come into question, and he now faces a Federal Election of Commission complaint. 

Upon hearing these reported allegations come to light, many residents in his district and Nassau County Democrats have called for Santos to resign.  They are also asking for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee into Santos’ background. 

“Shortly after the election, I introduced myself and I told him we’re in different parties, but let’s work together for the common good of our constituents,” said Ed Braunstein, assemblyman for New York Congressional District 26 and a resident of District 3. “That was before we found out that he was a pathological liar. That was before he became a national laughingstock.”

Robert Zimmerman, the Democratic candidate who ran unsuccessfully against Santos for Congress in 2022, said it is encouraging to see Republicans condemning Santos’ actions. Former conservative Congressman Peter King called Santos a threat to national security and Congressman Pete Sessions wants to exclude him from the Republican caucuses. However, Zimmerman said those two voices are not enough.  

Many Republican elected officials have stayed silent on the Santos allegations, while support from other right-wing groups like the New York Young Republicans Club has not wavered. Gavin Wax, president of the organization, said that although has caught Santos in a series of “exaggerations,” the club is not calling for the congressman to resign because the GOP needs to secure his seat. 

“We’re sending a message today to those Republican elected officials, both locally in our district and those Republican members of Congress, who have not called for his resignation,” Zimmerman said. “You are accomplices to the crime.”

Maximillian Meyer, a student at the Horace Mann School in the Bronx, traveled from Manhattan to join the rally and express his disdain for Santos. Meyer, 18, said he and his classmates were shocked and outraged when they first heard about Santos’ false claim that he did not graduate from Horace Mann due to his family falling on financial hardships. The school confirmed there is no evidence Santos ever attended the prestigious preparatory school. 

“We were disgusted and the top article in our school newspaper this week was student reactions to George Santos and his lies,” Meyer said. “We’re not willing to stand for it and that’s part of the reason why I’m here, on top of the fact we need accountability in our government.” 

Veronica Lurvey, a North Hempstead Town councilwoman and resident of Santos’ district believes that the Republican party of Nassau County should be held accountable for vetting their candidate. Her initial reaction to the allegations surrounding Santos was one of shock. She believes that the allegations surrounding the congressman erode the American that she loves. 

“Cheaters must never be rewarded,” she said. “Mr. Santos’ lies make a mockery of every one of us whose families came to this country to achieve the American dream.”  

Casey Sabella, a Glen Cove resident and community organizer with Courage for America, has had both Democrats and Republicans reach out to her. Although there are currently no other scheduled protests, Sabella said there will be more soon. 

“People are really coming together,” she said. “People are upset and angry and don’t feel like they have representation in Congress. So we'll keep fighting until we have what we need, which is representation and a full investigation by Congress.”