New York Republican Representative George Santos was called out after he, with seemingly no self awareness, condemned the antidemocratic protests in Brazil that hit a fever pitch after supporters of the previous leader, Jair Bolsonaro, attacked the Supreme Court of Brazil, the National Congress of Brazil and the Planalto Presidential Palace in the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, the capital.
The current President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was not in Brasilia at the time of the attack, which took place just a week after his inauguration. His administration confirmed more than 1,000 people had been arrested for participating in the attempt to reinstall Bolsonaro, who was in Orlando, Florida when it took place.
Santos—who recently admitted to “embellishing” his résumé following an extensive investigation by The New York Times that exposed multiple lies he told about his life story—said the ongoing violence in the country "is not the way to achieve anything."
He added he "vehemently condemn[s] the acts of violence and vandalism displayed in Brasilia today."
You can see his post below.
Santos' message did not go over well with social media users because Brazilian authorities recently said they're reviving a fraud case against him regarding the theft of a checkbook he used to purchase $700 of items in a clothing store in 2008.
In 2010, Santos confessed to check fraud charges in Brazil but failed to appear in court, leaving the case unresolved. After The New York Times published its investigation, Rio de Janeiro state prosecutors announced they were reviving the fraud charges because Santos' whereabouts had become known.
Santos was harshly criticized after many pointed out the irony of a known fugitive from justice condemning criminal acts.
Others also suggested he should go to Brazil and "assist" law enforcement by turning himself in on fraud charges.
Santos—who is also the subject of ongoing criminal investigations in the United States—had earlier fessed up to at least some of his lies in an interview with The New York Post.
Santos told the Rupert Murdoch owned conservative tabloid he is “embarrassed” by his false and misleading statements but he nonetheless believes he will be an “effective” House Republican in the new Congress even as questions remain about his education, work history and even his source of income.
As more of Santos' lies continue to be exposed—subsequent New York Times investigations have unearthed possible campaign finance violations due to suspicious expenditures listed on his campaign disclosures—Republicans have largely denounced him and Santos told New York GOP officials he does not plan to run for reelection in 2024.
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