Embattled Republican New York Rep. George Santos reportedly lied on his campaign website about helping children with a rare disability.
Santos claimed he and his family assisted children with Epidermolysis Burmosa (EB), a rare genetic disorder that causes severe skin blisters, as recently as November 2020, The Washington Post (WaPo reported. (RELATED: George Santos Accused Of Defrauding Amish Farmer)
“He and his family also engaged in helping children with EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa). Through various nonprofit organizations across the country supporting children worldwide, they have been proud financers of organizations that help these children in remote parts of the world where they are denied basic hygiene to care for their wounds,” his campaign website said.
The text was changed to say Santos “supports other organizations that help at-risk children and America’s veterans,” as of November 2022, WaPo found. Santos ran for Congress unsuccessfully in 2020 before he was elected in the 2022 midterm cycle.
Organizations representing EB patients told VICE News they have no records of George Santos or his parents ever making any charitable donations to them, or doing any other form of advocacy, ever. https://t.co/wRdsioRYp9
— Motherboard (@motherboard) February 22, 2023
EB charities told Vice News they have no records of any donations or advocacy by Santos on behalf of children with the condition. “I was not aware of George Santos making any claim to have volunteered or donated to any EB charity globally,” Brett Kopelan, executive director of DEBRA of America told Vice. “In our database and general records, we have nothing showing any volunteerism or any charitable donations in his or his family’s names.”
The outlet reached out to organizations in the U.S. and Brazil, the home country of Santos’ parents. He is under investigation by Brazilian authorities for alleged check fraud when he lived there.
U.S. prosecutors on the federal and local level are investigating Santos, and the FBI is looking into an allegation he defrauded a disabled veteran. Santos has admitted to lying about important life details, such as his ethnicity, education, work history and religious background.