A leading New York Republican says accusations that GOP Congressman-elect George Santos (R-NY) faked much of his biography are "serious."
"I believe that George Santos deserves an opportunity to address the claims detailed in the article," said Joseph Cairo Jr., the influential chairman of Nassau County's Republican committee.
He referred to a story in the New York Times that appears to show key details of Santos' official campaign bio were fabricated.
"Every person deserves an opportunity to 'clear' his/her name in the face of accusations," Cairo added, saying he looks forward to hearing Santos' response.
In his official biography, Santos claims to have graduated from Baruch College with "a bachelor's degree in economics and finance."
That appears to be untrue.
In a statement sent to NPR, Baruch College said it had checked its records for "a George Santos, born on July 22, 1988, with a graduation year of 2010, and could not find a match."
NPR left messages for Santos but has not yet heard back.
During his campaign, Santos frequently pointed to his business career and his success outside politics as an example of the American dream.
"I'm a private sector guy who was born and raised in abject poverty," Santos said during an appearance on CBS Channel 2 in New York.
"Only in this country does somebody who comes from a basement apartment in Jackson Heights like I did, is able to rise to become a successful businessperson, to then run for United States Congress."
Over the last year, beyond traditional healthcare and federal procurement matters, the government has pursued federal False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and enforcement across high-risk areas, i...