Congressman-elect Dan Goldman today issued the following statement in response to reporting from the New York Times that many of Congressman-elect George Santos’s campaign statements and assertions appear to be fabricated:

“If the allegations printed by the New York Times are accurate – allegations that Congressman-elect Santos has not denied – there are at least two potential federal crimes worth investigating:

“First, conspiracy to defraud the United States by knowingly and intentionally interfering with a federal election through dissemination of misinformation — similar to charges levied by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III against Russian infiltrators in our 2016 election and Donald Trump’s conduct in 2020 that was referred yesterday to the Department of Justice by the January 6 Select Committee; and second, filing false statements to the Federal Election Commission.

“The fact that Santos has previously been convicted of fraud in Brazil — from which conviction he remains a fugitive — underscores the urgent need for his conduct surrounding his most recent election to be investigated.

“I therefore urge the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI to initiate an investigation into Santos’s apparent campaign lies.

“It is also imperative that Republican Party leaders address Santos’s conduct and publicly state whether they believe he is fit to join their caucus. Silence is complicity and would only confirm that Santos represents the core of today’s Republican Party.”