Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Following the news that Queens/Long Island Congressman George Santos had been indicted on charges of fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and lying to the House of Representatives, many members of his district, as well as community leaders, were quick to react.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Santos has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.
Among the first to react to Santos’ indictment was Kellen Curry, who will be running for Santos’ congressional seat in the 2024 Republican primaries. Curry, in a statement, expressed concern over just how severe the charges are for Santos. While he was critical of Santos, he also made it a point to not berate him during such a difficult time.
“I did not join this race to throw punches while my opponent is down,” Curry said. “The people of NY-3 do not want to see leaders insulting each other. They deserve better than these kinds of distractions and we must look forward to delivering real results for our communities, youth and nation. I urge Mr. Santos to fully cooperate with federal authorities and take responsibility for his actions. I believe honesty and integrity are critical values for anyone seeking to represent the people of this great country. As we champion forward, I will continue to fight for transparency and accountability in government.”
Shortly after the news first broke of Santos being indicted, but before the charges were announced, Robert Zimmerman, who ran against Santos as the Democratic nominee in the 2022 election, released a statement condemning the congressman and calling for his resignation or expulsion from Congress.
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply