New York Republican Representative George Santos was mocked online after he launched a personal attack on a possible Democratic rival only for it to backfire spectacularly.
Josh Lafazan, a member of the Nassau County Legislature from the 18th district, called out Santos in a tweet on April 15, referring to the lies he has allegedly told and the scandals surrounding him. Lafazan, who is Jewish, also took a shot at Santos’ education, stating his diploma from Harvard University “is real.”
Lafazan had responded to an attack from Santos, who'd accused him of having "swindled young women for political contributions," noting that Lafazan received substantial support from cryptocurrency interests, including discraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's Protect Our Future political action committee (PAC).
You can see Lafazan's tweet below.
In response, Santos stooped to a new low and attacked Lafazan’s appearance by sharing a photo of him and mocking his chin.
You can see Santos' tweet below.
However, Lafazan didn’t back down and responded to him with the following message:
“Corrective jaw surgery helped me breathe normally and saved my life. My insurance covered it and it’s why I’m fighting so hard for universal health care."
"You are beneath the office you hold and I can’t wait to replace you in Congress, in 2024 or sooner. Send postcards from jail.”
You can see Lafazan's tweet below.
Many echoed Lafazan's criticisms of Santos.
Others criticized Santos more directly.
Santos has been mired in scandal since New York Times reporters unearthed multiple lies he'd told about his life story.
He now faces ethics investigations amid allegations he violated campaign finance law as well as a separate fraud inquiry in Brazil, where he used to reside.
Although Santos admitted to "embellishing" his résumé and questions remain about his education, work history and even his source of income, he has not heeded calls to step down from Congress, instead assuring GOP officials he will not run in 2024.
However, the political landscape in New York is heating up now that Santos has backtracked and officially announced his intention to run again, defying the calls from some Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Lafazan later responded to the news by reiterating that Santos is "a liar" and "a fraud" who "belongs in prison, not the House of Representatives."
He urged people to vote for his campaign to "replace Santos in Congress" in a tweet you can see below.
According to sources, senior members of the Republican Party in Washington have informed their colleagues that they will not endorse Santos as their nominee for the seat.
However, despite this opposition, Santos has made it clear that he will not resign early and has already submitted the necessary paperwork in March to run for re-election in 2024.
When asked by CNN about his support for Santos' candidacy, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy responded with a chuckle and stated he "wasn't aware" Santos "had declared." The GOP leader went on to say he will "wait" to see who else files their candidacy.
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