The New York Attorney General’s Office said it was considering “a number of issues” related to Congressman elected George Santos, who was the subject of a New York Times bombshell investigation that questioned whether the new Republican lawmaker fabricated much of his biography, including his education, career, and financial dealings.
However, the office did not confirm whether it had opened an official investigation against Santos and declined to comment further on the matter.
An attorney for Santos, Joe Murray, told CNNBreakingNews.net in an email Thursday afternoon that he had “not been contacted by anyone” by the New York Attorney General’s Office.
“I don’t have anything else to add right now,” he said.
Shortly after Murray’s email, Santos shared a message on Twitter addressing voters in his district.
“I have my story to tell the people of #NY03 and it will be told next week. I want to assure everyone that I will answer your questions and that I will remain committed to achieving the results I’ve stood for: public safety, inflation, education, and more,” he wrote.
In Monday’s investigative report, which cited public documents and court records, the New York Times said it could not prove many of the qualifications that Santos cited during the election campaign and on his official campaign website.
According to his campaign website, Santos graduated from Baruch College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance, but according to the Times, Baruch officials were unable to find any records of his participation. The college also told NBC New York that a search for academic records could not confirm his participation or that he met the degree requirements.
In addition, Santos has claimed to be an “experienced Wall Street financier and investor,” but representatives from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, where Santos said he worked, told the Times they had no records of his employment.
The Times also questioned Santos’ real estate portfolio and the claim that he founded an animal welfare organization that saved over 2,500 cats and dogs.
On Monday evening, Santos posted a statement from his lawyer on Twitter denying the Times report.
“It’s no surprise that Congressman elect Santos has enemies at the New York Times who are trying to tarnish his reputation with these defamatory allegations,” Murray’s statement reads in part.
Santos made political history in November when he won the 3rd race in the New York congressional district, which covers parts of Long Island and Queens, making him the first openly LGBTQ-free Republican elected to Congress. The competition was also the first time that two openly homosexual congressional candidates faced off against each other in a general election.
Santos’s competitor in the November elections, Democrat Robert Zimmerman, said members of both parties should “be grateful” that the attorney general is investigating Santos.