Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Newspaper Publisher Recounts How He Knew Santos Was A 'Grotesque Fraud' Back In 2020

MSNBC screenshot of Grant Lally; George Santos
MSNBC; Wade Vandervort/AFP via Getty Images

The North Shore Leader, a newspaper on Long Island, warned of the GOP Rep. in its endorsement of his opponent back in October of last year.

Grant Lally—the publisher of the Long Island newspaper The North Shore Leader—told MSNBC he knew New York Republican Representative George Santos was a "grotesque fraud" from the moment they met in 2020.

Santos—whose election on Long Island in November helped Republicans secure a slim majority in the House of Representatives—is facing calls to resign after admitting to “embellishing” his résumé following an investigative report by The New York Times.


Lally described Santos' behavior as "pure evil" and said he knew something was off about him “right from the start."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

youtu.be

Lally said:

“I asked him a lot of questions, a lot of pointed questions, a lot of personal questions—not an unfriendly meeting at all. But he was really a weirdo right from the start."
“He was evasive. He was also just basking in the attention he was getting, which I thought was very weird for a guy who at the time was only 31 years old, but claimed to be a multimillionaire financier."
“We felt very vindicated [by other media] because we had called him out as a fake. [Santos’ lying was] beyond our wildest expectations."
“We didn’t think someone would lie about attending Baruch College. We didn’t think someone would lie about working at Goldman Sachs.”

Democrats and some commentators expressed surprise and disappointment opposition research did not detect or act on Santos' résumé discrepancies before the election.

However, in September, months before The New York Times published the results of its investigation, The North Shore Leader published an article about the "inexplicable rise" in Santos' alleged net worth to $11 million and noted other inconsistencies in his biography.

While the Leader's scoop is the type of hard-hitting local reporting that, once verified and amplified by regional outlets, has been known to inform the public of emerging political scandals, no one took notice of the story before election day.

In response to that glaring oversight, the newspaper published an editorial titled "The Leader Told You So: US Rep-Elect George Santos is a Fraud—and Wanted Criminal" which denounced Santos as "a deepfake liar who has falsified his background, assets, and contacts" and compared him to the pathological liars and con artists played by actors Will Smith and Matt Damon in Six Degrees of Separation and The Talented Mr. Ripley respectively.

Lally said he regretted the story wasn’t picked up by other media at the time his newspaper published it, saying had it been “we wouldn’t have to deal with this sociopath in the U.S. Congress right now."

Many echoed Lally's frustrations.


Calls for Santos to step down intensified this month after The New York Times published an article detailing how Santos gave Long Island, New York Republican officials a bogus résumé when he first expressed interest in running for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Santos lied about everything from his education to his work history at Goldman Sachs. Had Nassau County Republicans "dug into any of the claims," The Times noted, "they would probably have found that much of Mr. Santos’ account was baldly fabricated."

More from Trending

Doug Savant on 'Melrose Place'
FOX

'Melrose Place' Star Reveals Why His Gay Character Wasn't Allowed To Show Affection On Show

With the plethora of LGBTQ+ characters and storylines being normalized on various TV shows and streaming platforms, it might be difficult for younger generations to fathom that it wasn't always like this.

The cast of the popular '90s drama Melrose Place had a poignant discussion on the Still The Placepodcast.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Scott Jennings and Abby Phillip
CNN

CNN Host Drops Truth Bomb After Republican Guest Explains Why GOP 'Likes' Kash Patel For FBI Director

After conservative commentator Scott Jennings defended President-elect Donald Trump's choice of Kash Patel for FBI Director, CNN host Abby Phillip dropped a truth bomb, drawing an apt comparison to the GOP's election reform crusade.

Jennings said the following about Patel, whom he suggested would restore trust and "public confidence" in the bureau:

Keep ReadingShow less
Image of Melania, Barron and Donald Trump on election night
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Rare Video Of Barron Trump Talking On Election Night Has People Doing A Double Take

A rare video of President-elect Donald Trump's son Barron Trump speaking has many social media users doing a double take, with many pointing out the similarities between his and his father's speech patterns.

In the clip, Barron greets one of his father's supporters:

Keep ReadingShow less
John Rich; Lindsey Graham; Pete Hegseth
Steve Jennings/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

MAGA Country Singer Rages At Lindsey Graham For Waffling On Confirming Pete Hegseth

John Rich, one half of the country duo Big & Rich, furiously took to X to question "RINO" Senator Lindsey Graham's manliness after the South Carolina GOP politician called the allegations against Trump Cabinet pick Pete Hegseth "disturbing."

Hegseth, a Fox News host who is President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, faces scrutiny after CNN reported that he paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause.

Keep ReadingShow less
Flavor Flav
Bryan Steffy - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Flavor Flav's 'Spirit Is Broken' After NBC Kicked Him Out Of Backstage Area At Tree Lighting

Rap icon Flavor Flav was dispirited by the way NBC treated him in a backstage area at the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old cofounder of the rap group Public Enemy said he was kicked out for no reason.

Keep ReadingShow less