Alleged 9/11 victim: doubts about Georges Santos' story about his mother

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US Republican George Santos: "9/11 took the life of my mother"

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John Locher/AP

The public prosecutor responsible spoke of "lies and inconsistencies" when she launched an investigation into the largely falsified CV of Republican Congressman George Santos.

Santos, who won his seat in the New York state midterm elections in November, previously admitted that he had never worked at banks Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and had never earned a college degree.

In addition, Santos told the New York Post that he was not Jewish, but Catholic.

Now it turns out that Santos could have been untrue on at least one other point.

It concerns his mother's alleged history as an indirect victim of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. According to Santos' campaign website, she was in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on the day of the attacks.

"She survived the tragic events of 9/11, but died a few years later after losing her battle with cancer," it said.

US media such as CNN and the New York Post are now reporting on a debate that revolves around the question of what exactly is meant by “a few years later”.

It was started by the journalist Yashar Ali, who discovered two older tweets by Santos and compared them on Twitter.

Accordingly, Santos wrote in July 2021: “9/11 claimed the life of my mother.” However, just five months later, on December 23, Santos wrote: “December 23 of this year marks five years that I lost my best friend and lost mentor.

Mom, you will live in my heart forever.«

Accordingly, George Santos' mother would have died on December 23, 2016 - more than 15 years after the September 11 attacks.

Is that a few more years?

There is apparently no evidence for Santos' claim that his mother died of long-term complications - and Santos seems to know that too.

CNN quoted from an interview that he is said to have given on December 17, 2021 on the radio show “The Voice of Reason with Andy Hooser”.

Accordingly, his mother "got caught in the ash cloud", but did not report as a victim because she did not want to take any money from the first responders.

»Her motto was: 'I can afford it.

We are lucky.

We can take care of all our medical bills.

If I take it, I'm taking it away from these men and women who need it and who are risking their lives.'"

Lots of inconsistencies

There is no direct evidence that would convict the 34-year-old Santos of lying.

However, it is clear that the inconsistencies surrounding 9/11 are not the only ones when it comes to his mother.

According to NBC, Santos wrote on his campaign website that his mother's parents "fleed Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium and again fled persecution during World War II."

A few days ago, this passage was removed from the site.

Sol