See the evolution of lies in George Santos’s campaign biography

Family

Origin story based on his mother Fatima Devolder

Like superheroes, candidates tell an origin story, often times by describing their families. Santos’s family story mainly focuses on his mother.

As of November 2020, the website said his mother was born in Brazil to Belgian immigrants who “fled the devastation of World World II.” And it said his father “grew up in Brazil.”

Two years later the story said his grandparents “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine,” before they “settled in Belgium” and then “fled persecution during WWII.” And Santos’s father was now described as having “Angolan roots.”

But a week after the New York Times and Jewish Insider published stories casting doubt on this biography, this part of Santos’s campaign website was changed to delete references to Ukraine, Belgium, “Jewish persecution,” “Angolan roots” and even Brazil.

Perhaps no New York event sparks as many emotions as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. On the eve of Santos’s election, his website said his mother was in the South Tower and “survived” it.

But news reports in January 2023 showed she was not in New York during the attack. As of Thursday the claim remained on the site.

Personal and philanthropy

From philanthropic financier to vague businessman

As of November 2020 Santos’s site claimed he founded a nonprofit and rescued thousands of dogs and cats. During 2022, those details vanished and were replaced with a vague statement that is nearly impossible to fact-check.

Santos’s site once claimed “He and his family” helped children with Epidermolysis Bullosa and “they have been proud financers” of organizations helping children around the world. During 2022 the story was changed to focus on “America’s veterans.”

Santos’s site claimed his philanthropy helped animals, “at-risk children” and veterans. By late December 2022, claims of helping animals were erased from the site. The following month Patch reported he had stolen money from a homeless veteran’s dying dog. Santos has denied the claim.

Work experience

From Wall Street to word salad

Santos’s work history once sparkled with impressive accolades. It was replaced with bland financial jargon and empty space.

In his first run for Congress, Santos’s site described in detail an impressive academic record and meteoric rise in the finance industry.

“George Anthony” had “quickly advanced” at Citigroup, was “offered” jobs at a tech company and Goldman Sachs, and eventually became “one of the youngest vice presidents in the industry.”

Before his victory in 2022, many of those details disappeared. “George” was “a seasoned Wall Street financier and investor” who worked in “capital introduction” and still claimed he was “one of the youngest vice presidents in the industry.”

The claims were greatly scaled down after news reports in December 2022 showed he worked at a Dish Network call center instead of Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

Education

College degree to nothing at all

As of November 2022, Santos’s site said he graduated from Baruch College, located in Manhattan.

After the Times’s initial story about him, the claim disappeared.

For a few months in 2020, the site described him as a promising young student who was thwarted by financial hardship at one of New York’s most prestigious prep schools.

The name of the school was removed before a spokesman for that school said Santos never attended.

During his campaigns Santos attacked liberal Democrats, some of whom, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have the kind of up-from-their-bootstraps biography he seemed to want to hide from.

Santos has apologized for “having embellished my résumé,” and claimed he has “lived an honest life.”