A Republican Congressman who claimed his mother was caught up in the September 11 2001 attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York has seemingly been proven wrong by immigration records.
Representative George Santos has long said that his mother Fatima Devolder was in an office in the South Tower during the attacks, but now official immigration documents that were first obtained by The Forward dispute that claim.
Ms Devolder – according to the papers – applied for the necessary visa to enter the United States in 2003, claiming that she had left the country to go to Brazil in June 1999 and had not returned since then.
Then, in more paperwork that was filed in June 2001 – three months before the aeroplanes crashed into the towers – Ms Devolder said that she couldn’t come back to the United States because she’d had her green card stolen whilst in Brazil.
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On Santos’ campaign website, however, it reads: “George’s mother was in her office in the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001, when the horrific events of that day unfolded.”
The website continues: “She survived the tragic events on September 11th, but she passed away a few years later when she lost her battle to cancer.”
The visa documents were shared by a man called Alex Calzareth, who has an interest in genealogical research and put in a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Then, he shared what he’d found with various news outlets, who have since reported on it.
Santos was only elected to the house as a representative for New York’s third congressional district in November, but has been dogged by various reports of mistruths in his personal and professional history.
Whilst he has admitted that he lied about his education and his career, there are still questions about not only claims he made about his mother, but also where his money comes from.
That has led to a complaint being made to the Federal Election Commission – a non-partisan organisation – because he used his personal wealth to partially finance his campaign for office.
Representatives from both of the USA’s main parties have called for Santos to resign, but so far he has not done so.
The new Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has also supported Santos, and house Republicans have elected him to two committees within the house on Tuesday.
When White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the subject, she responded that it is ‘is up to the Republican conference to show what they think they owe the American people’.
She added: “It is their decision to make on what it means, what they see as it relates to the terms of standards and service.”
She went on to say that she believes that the GOP plans to take no action, having assigned Santos to committees.
UNILAD has attempted to contact Congressman George Santos for comment.
Topics: US News, Politics, World News, Washington, New York
Tom Wood