George Santos insists he has a ‘clean conscience’ after lying about background

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The troubled New York congressman who is now known to have fabricated wide parts of his background amid his 2020 congressional run says he has a “clear conscience” about seeking a second term in office.

George Santos was grilled about the issue on Newsmax of all places by one of the network’s right-leaning hosts, Rob Schmitt. During the interview, Mr Santos was asked whether he would remain a candidate for office were he still facing questions from authorities about rumours of criminal activity in 2024.

“I would not run if I thought I have ... if I knew I had made or committed any crime. So, that should show you proof that I have a clean conscience moving forward,” said Mr Santos.

He even seemed to argue that he had made up for lying about being descended from Holocaust survivors as well as about his educational and work histories by being publicly exposed, and suffering the subsequent consequences of political humiliation.

“Look if anything, I’ve hurt myself, right?” he asked. “But ... I have delivered on every single one of my campaign promises.”

The first-term congressman already faces calls for his resignation from both Democratic and Republican members of the House — especially those from his home state, a number of whom have taken to trolling the freshman legislator on social media as well as at press conferences.

But he has been somewhat embraced by the Maga wing of the Republican Party and as a result has become newly acquainted with far-right members of the House like Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene. In the weeks and months since his swearing-in, he has defied the hopes that he would fade into the background held by senior Republicans and attempted to make a name for himself with media appearances, frequent floor speeches, and legislation crafted for the attention of the media.

Mr Santos recently filed paperwork to seek a second term in 2024, and is touting his track record of winning a Democrat-leaning district in 2020 (before the bulk of his deceit was revealed) as his primary electoral strength.