Former GOP lawmaker calls on Santos to resign in NYT op-ed

Former Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) called on Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) to resign from Congress in a New York Times op-ed, adding his voice to a growing chorus calling for the embattled first-term lawmaker to step down amid a series of investigations into his deceit and fundraising.

King, who spent nearly three decades in Congress until retiring in 2021, wrote that Santos’s recent assignments to congressional committees will continue to bring unwanted attention and shame to him and the Republican Party.

“Having served in Congress for 28 years, I cannot imagine how Mr. Santos possibly thinks he can be effective as a member of the House, if he thinks about it at all,” King wrote.

“In modern politics, I can’t recall another freshman lawmaker who took office so completely lacking the trust and respect of his colleagues. Except perhaps for a few ineffective congressional outliers, I can’t imagine a member of either party working or cooperating with Mr. Santos,” he added.

Santos, 34, is facing investigations from federal authorities over potential campaign finance violations, as well as an investigation from Nassau County over the fabrications and lies he made during his campaign. 

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., on Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Those 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.

A number of prominent New York Republicans have called for Santos to resign; however, he has refused to do so, and House GOP leadership this week moved ahead with assigning him to two committees related to small business and science.

In his op-ed, King called for Republican leaders to “make it clear they also want him gone and quickly call for a full and complete investigation by the Ethics Committee, which has the authority to recommend expulsion.”

King added that failure to do so could cause New York voters to punish incumbent GOP lawmakers in the 2024 election. 

“The truth is that Mr. Santos is hurting the House that many of us love and dragging down the Republican caucus to a shameful place,” King added. “He does not belong there, but there is no indication that he will consider resignation.” 

“As long as Mr. Santos remains in Congress, he is dead man walking and will be unable to get anything done for his constituents,” King concluded. “For at least this one moment in his life, it is time for Mr. Santos to face reality, do the honorable thing and resign the seat in Congress.” 

King is among the latest prominent New York politician to call for Santos to resign.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), writing his own op-ed on the Santos controversy, referred to the first-term lawmaker as a “danger to our democracy and national security.” 

“The presence of this man in Congress is a danger to our democracy and national security, a disgrace to this institution, and a major distraction from the pressing problems that are far more worthy of our time, energy and attention,” wrote Torres, who also introduced legislation in response to the controversy.

“It’s time for Santos to recognize that he cannot serve the public he defrauded. His ability to govern has been weakened by a complete collapse of credibility,” Torres added.