Congressman George Santos' controversy-laden introduction into the House of Representatives shows no sign of abating, with legal challenges, criminal allegations, and run-ins with the media adding to the New York Republican's public woes.
Santos, who admitted to having embellished details about his career and academic history, was recently seated in the GOP-controlled house, despite attacks from within the party alongside multiple ethical complaints and investigations.
Despite scrutiny from both critics and fellow Republicans, it appeared that Santos was unable to resist playing up to the allegations made against him, at least if one photo allegedly from his Congressional swearing-in is to be believed.
The Claim
A Reddit post, published on January 10, 2022, with the caption "Testing out the Reality filter!" shows a picture of what appears to be George Santos crossing his fingers as he is sworn into Congress.
The Facts
While Santos has owned up to a number of the embellishments about his education and professional history, the extent of his alleged mistruths may not be saved by apology or admission, with the Nassau County GOP planning to issue a statement on Wednesday regarding the "disgraced" New York congressman.
Democratic Representatives Daniel Goldman and Ritchie Torres have also filed an official complaint against him, alleging he "violated the Ethics in Government Act" by "failing to file timely, accurate, and complete financial disclosure reports."
However, despite Santos' history of fictions, he was not photographed undermining his Congressional pledge of honesty, as was shown on Reddit.
The original version of the photo, which showed Santos with an open palm standing next to Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, has been shared on Twitter and featured in other media outlets.
"Reality filter," which may be a reference to an Instagram app designed to tackle the use of misleading Photoshop tools, appears to indicate that the photo shared on Reddit was intended as a satirical jab.
While this photo on Reddit was doctored, Santos was scrutinized for another controversial hand gesture he made recently. He was photographed using what appeared to be the "OK" symbol, a gesture which in 2019 was added to the Anti-Defamation League's list of hate symbols.
Although still widely considered innocuous, in the past few years it has been also associated with white supremacy and other racist connotations.
It is not clear whether the gesture was intentional or not. Other members of Congress such as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have also been accused of flashing the sign, despite evidence lacking that it was done intentionally.
Newsweek has reached out to George Santos for comment.
The Ruling
False.
The photo of George Santos shared on Reddit is doctored.
The original version, showing Santos' Congressional pledge, in which he is not crossing his fingers, can be found widely on social media.
The image appears to be satirizing Santos' storied entry into the lower chamber, following reports that he made misleading statements about his education and career history.
While Newsweek Fact Check considered rating the claim as Satire, the fact that the joke element was introduced (through digital manipulation) by a third party, not Santos himself, moved the needle to an outright False ruling.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
