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Rep. George Santos barricaded himself in his district office as angry constituents stood outside demanding his resignation: reports

Feb 16, 2023, 23:50 IST
Business Insider
Rep. George Santos on Capitol Hill on January 25, 2023.Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
  • Rep. George Santos hid from constituents who tried to deliver a petition to him on Wednesday.
  • The embattled lawmaker sent a staffer to talk to the group instead, per multiple reports.
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Rep. George Santos hid inside his district office as constituents attempted to deliver a petition calling for his resignation on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

Local residents who arrived at the scandal-hit Republican's district office in Douglaston, Queens, were greeted by a police cordon, UK newspaper The Independent reported.

A staffer told the group that Santos was in the building but added that he refused to meet with a "mob," according to the paper.

The group of around 25 constituents chanted as they attempted to hand over the petition, which they said had more than 1,000 signatures, per the paper.

"It's incredibly cowardly to hide behind his staff," protester Emily Raphael told The Independent.

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NYPD's 111th precinct declined to confirm how long the police cordon had been in place and for what purpose. Santos' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Santos had tweeted the day before, in response to online criticism, that he was "not hiding."

"Let me be very clear, I'm not leaving, I'm not hiding and I am NOT backing down," he tweeted.

The group confronting him is known as Concerned Citizens of NY-03. Last week, they traveled to Capitol Hill to call for the expulsion of their congressman, according to The Jerusalem Post. Their Facebook group boasts more than 700 members.

Coordinator Jody Kass told the outlet ahead of the protest that Santos is "destroying the most important foundations of our country."

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It's not the first time Santos appears to have taken evasive measures. In January, it emerged that constituents' calls to his office were being routed to another GOP congressman, as Newsday first reported.

Since the avalanche of Santos scandals burst into the open — touching on his fabricated educational record to potential campaign finance violations, and seemingly everything in between — the congressman has faced intense criticism from many within his own backyard.

The Nassau County Republican Party, the New York State Republican Party, and fellow Long Islander Rep. Anthony D'Esposito have all called on Santos to resign.

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