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Santos’ Pre-Election Background Check Immediately Uncovered Warning Signs

A number of his campaign aides were so revolted by the report they quit their jobs.

During his 2020 congressional election campaign, George Santos hired the firm Capital Research Group, LLC to conduct a down-low background check that uncovered details of his checkered past that managed to evade scrutiny until after his election to Congress—raising questions about how the campaign managed to keep the details silent for so long. A number of his aides were so revolted by the report they quit their jobs after he declined their suggestions to drop out of the race. On Thursday, CBS published portions of the internal documents, which cover his marriage, his assertions on his family's relation to the Holocaust, and his connection to companies “accused of fraud and scamming customers.” Santos was indicted in May and charged with wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements to the House, and stealing public funds. The report backs up many of these allegations and puts into question how his 2020 campaign was funded. One of his largest donors was Michael Niamonitakis, who placed on the New York City Public Advocate’s list of “worst landlords.” Regarding his marriage to ex-wife Uadla Vieira, the documents found that “she may not have been a green card holder nor legal to work in the United States around the time of her marriage.” The report also verified that Santos is not Jewish. His grandparents were born in Brazil and were not “Holocaust refugees” as he had asserted.