Statement from Congressman Dan Goldman Calling on GOP Conference Chair Stefanik to be Transparent and Forthcoming in Light of Dubious Claim to be Unaware of Santos Lies During Campaign

“Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik has claimed through a spokesperson that she was not ‘aware of the allegations (against Santos) prior to the New York Times reporting.' Ms. Stefanik’s statement directly contradicts public reporting, statements from Republican operatives directly familiar with the situation, and Republican power players induced to support Mr. Santos by Ms. Stefanik herself.  
 
“Ms. Stefanik has made many recent calls for transparency and accountability, yet those calls apparently don’t apply to herself. Instead of being transparent with the American people about what she knew about George Santos’s lies before the 2022 election, Ms. Stefanik has instead decided to continue her campaign of obfuscation and misdirection.  
 
“Extensive public reporting in The New York Times and CNN makes clear that Ms. Stefanik was well aware of at least some of Mr. Santos’s lies during the campaign. One of her top political aides was closely advising Santos, including by helping him find replacement staff and advisors after many quit upon learning of his material lies from a self-research study he commissioned.
 
“In her first public comment on her knowledge of Santos’s lies, Ms. Stefanik deceptively stated to CNN that no one on her ‘staff’ assisted Mr. Santos’s campaign. But prior public reporting had asserted that a ‘top political aide,’ — not necessarily a staff member — assisted the campaign. The American people will not be fooled by this misdirection.
 
“Ms. Stefanik was Mr. Santos’s most significant endorser and biggest supporter. As one senior Republican strategist involved in campaigns before the midterms told CNN, ‘Stefanik’s team was laser focused on electing Santos to Congress – more than just about any other race in the country.’
 
“Ms. Stefanik even went so far as to convince suspicious donors to support Mr. Santos, including one who told CNN that she was swayed by Ms. Stefanik despite misgivings about Mr. Santos after Mr. Santos falsely told her that Donald Trump had endorsed him. 

“Two things are now clear: Ms. Stefanik knew about some of Mr. Santos’s lies during the campaign and she is not being straight with the American people.  
 
“Ms. Stefanik must publicly commit to voluntarily and proactively cooperate with all current and future investigations into George Santos’s conduct, including the House Ethics Committee investigation that Congressman Ritchie Torres and I initiated two weeks ago. Just as importantly, she must be transparent with the voters about the extent of her involvement in Santos’s effort to defraud the people of New York’s Third Congressional District.  
 
“It is one thing for a fabulist like George Santos to defraud the voters to get elected to Congress. It is altogether something different if he does so with the aid and support of top House Republican leadership. Ms. Stefanik owes it to the American people to come clean about what she knew and when she knew it.”

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