In a surprising turn of events, New York Congressman George Santos, who previously made headlines for his alleged drag queen past, was taken into custody on May 10th. Federal prosecutors indicted Santos on multiple charges, including 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.
A Pattern of Fabrications and False Statements
Santos’ controversial history has been under scrutiny since his election earlier this year. The investigation has uncovered numerous unverified claims made by Santos, such as fabrications about his education, ancestry, medical history, family, athletic career, and financial status. He also falsely claimed to have walked in New York Fashion Week and appeared in Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana alongside Miley Cyrus.
Derek Myers, a former aide to Santos, revealed that he had secretly met with FBI agents to work as a confidential informant against the congressman. Myers believes that the Justice Department’s charges are only the beginning of an “avalanche” of problems for Santos.
Alleged Drag Queen Past Goes Viral
Santos made headlines earlier this year when photos of him in drag circulated online. Two former acquaintances told Reuters that he had competed in Brazilian beauty pageants as a drag queen named Kitara Ravache. Eula Rochard, a Brazilian performer who claims to have been friends with Santos in 2005, and an anonymous source both confirmed his aspirations to win Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro.
Santos initially denied the claims, calling them “categorically false” and a “recent obsession from the media.” He later told reporters, “No, I was not a drag queen in Brazil, guys. I was young and I had fun at a festival. Sue me for having a life.”
Despite his LGBTQ+ history, Santos, a 34-year-old politician, became the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat in Congress as a non-incumbent. He has since supported anti-LGBTQ+ legislation such as Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, causing controversy within the community.