George Santos—Accused Of Lying About His Mother’s 9/11 Ties—Is Reportedly Bringing A Former Ground Zero Firefighter To State Of The Union

Best News And Media AffiliatesFeb 6, 2023 4:40 pm

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Topline

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was accused last month of falsely claiming his mother died due to the September 11 attacks, is bringing a former firefighter who worked on post-9/11 recovery efforts at the World Trade Center to the State of the Union address, the firefighter told The New York Times.

Key Facts

Michael Weinstock said he accepted Santos’ invitation because he is suffering from a neurological condition related to his time at ground zero and wanted to raise awareness for the healthcare needs of 9/11 emergency workers, he told the Times.

Weinstock, who ran in the Democratic primary for Santos’ House district in 2020, said he was fired from his law firm last week over his decision to attend the speech with Santos, who is facing numerous probes over his fabricated resume and personal history, including that his mother was present at the September 11 attacks.

Santos states on his campaign website that his mother, Fatima Devolder, “was in her office in the South Tower on September 11” and survived the attacks before dying of cancer a few years later—claims that contradict a 2003 visa application obtained by The Washington Post that indicates she had not been in the U.S. since 1999.

Weinstock said he connected with Santos during his 2022 campaign, when the then-candidate offered to start a GoFundMe to help Weinstock pay for medical expenses to treat his condition, which stemmed from inhaling pollutants at ground zero and prevented him from working, Weinstock told The Times.

The two reportedly reconnected in December, when Santos said he wanted sponsor legislation to help conditions like Weinstock’s get coverage under the World Trade Center Health Program and asked Weinstock to write a briefing paper on his condition–a partnership that Weinstock called off in the wake of the allegations, which he called “inexcusable” in an interview with the Times.

–Forbes has reached out to Santos’ office, Weinstock and his former law firm, Mullen P.C.

Key Background

Santos, who was elected in November to represent Long Island’s third congressional district, faces calls for his resignation from a coalition of his Republican colleagues in Congress after allegations emerged in December via the Times that he had fabricated nearly his entire resume and personal background. The Times’ reporting also raised concerns about discrepancies in his financial statements, including the source of his sudden wealth. In the months since the initial report, acquaintances of Santos have described him as a fabulist who has lied about everything from his history as a drag queen and a stint on Broadway to a modeling career and attending the exclusive Met Gala in New York. Lawmakers and watchdog groups have called on the Federal Election Commission, the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Ethics to probe his conduct, while the Department of Justice, New York Attorney General and Nassau County Prosecutor’s office have also said they are reviewing the allegations for any potential criminal activity. Santos, who has admitted to fabricating some portions of his work history and personal background, has refused to heed calls for him to resign from Congress, but stepped down from his committee assignments last week, citing the ongoing investigations against him.

Tangent

A would-be congressional staffer to Santos filed a sexual harassment complaint with the House Ethics Committee and Capitol Police accusing Santos of touching his groin without permission in January, according to a letter the alleged victim, Derek Myers, posted to Twitter on Friday. Shortly after offering Myers a job, the letter alleges Santos asked him if he had a profile on the gay dating site, Grindr, when the two were alone together in Santos’ office on January 25, before Santos invited him to a karaoke bar and touched his groin. Santos has not publicly commented on the allegations, but told Semafor he rescinded Myers’ offer upon learning the would-be staffer faces wiretapping charges in Ohio after a newspaper he ran published an audio recording of court testimony it obtained from a source.