George Santos cruelly attacks GOP congressman for his son’s substance abuse problems

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) publicly attacked a fellow Republican member of Congress for having an adult son who has a substance abuse problem. Santos later apologized.

Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) posted a joke on X about Santos surviving an attempt to expel him earlier this week and the conclusion of the House Ethics Committee’s investigation of Santos, which is expected by November 17.

Related:

George Santos lied about his five-year-old niece being kidnapped by two Chinese men

He claimed the Chinese Communist Party may have been trying to silence him.

“Last night, the House saw its shadow,” Womack wrote. “Unfortunately, this means there will be two more weeks of Santos.”

Insights for the LGBTQ+ community

Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

Womack has been critical of Santos and was one of 24 House Republicans who voted to expel Santos.

Last night, the House saw its shadow. Unfortunately, this means there will be two more weeks of Santos.

— Rep. Steve Womack (@rep_stevewomack) November 2, 2023

Santos did not take the joke lightly and responded: “Your son is a felon. He has been in and out of the prison system for years. He is a drug dealer, poisoning people on the streets with meth and unlawful possession of a gun.”

“Instead of being home, taking care of your son, you’re sitting pretty in the swamp,” Santos continued. “Listen, I have been respectful of my colleagues through this process but I’m sick and tired of people with glass houses casting stones at me.”

Womack has openly discussed his 37-year-old son’s battle with addiction, which resulted in his guilty plea earlier this year on charges related to distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine. His sentence has not yet been determined but he faces up to 40 years in prison.

“Our family has been through a lot with an adult son, and those subjects are always off limits in terms of the political discourse,” Womack told the Washington Examiner about Santos’s insult. “And for somebody to raise it for some kind of political gain, is regretful. There’s enough up here to get crossways about, but let’s leave families out of it.”

Santos later apologized on X, saying that he has “the maturity and humility to acknowledge and accept when I’m wrong.”

“I’ve always held the standard that our families are off limits and I crossed that line and for that I am embarrassed and deeply sorry for doing so,” he continued. “I am praying for your family during these difficult times.”

I have the maturity and humility to acknowledge and accept when I’m wrong.

Today I had a misguided moment of rage and lashed out against a colleagues family member after he was critical of me.

I’ve always held the standard that our families are off limits and I crossed that…

— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) November 2, 2023

A group of Republican House members attempted to get Santos expelled after he was indicted on 10 more charges — in addition to the original 13 federal charges he faced — in connection to various alleged schemes to enrich himself.

His former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, recently pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government. Marks told a federal court last month that Santos illegally “submitted bogus campaign finance reports” to help attract more donors to his campaign.

Marks said Santos falsely wrote in campaign finance reports that he had loaned $500,000 to his campaign despite never doing so and not having the money to do so. Santos did this “to make it look like he had a well-funded campaign, which might attract other donors,” she said. She also said that she gave the Federal Elections Commission a fake list of donors, listing the names of real people who had neither donated nor given his campaign permission to use their names.

Santos’ trial is scheduled for September 9, 2024.