'Not mere fibs.' NY Republicans call for George Santos to resign, McCarthy won't remove him

WASHINGTON – As pressure mounts for embattled freshman Rep. George Santos to resign, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said it's up to the New Yorkers who put him in office to decide. 

"The voters elected him to serve," McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon in an exchange shown on CNN. "He has to answer to the voters." 

He also said Santos, who voted last week to install McCarthy as speaker, would be placed on committees but did not elaborate.

His comments come hours after Nassau County Republicans called on Santos to resign for telling a litany of lies that are "too numerous to count." 

Santos has been facing scrutiny after multiple reports revealed he lied about his personal story and professional resume in his bid for a congressional seat.

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"He's not welcome here," Nassau committee GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo said of the county's Republican headquarters. "We do not consider him one of our congresspeople."

One of the most egregious lies he told, according to the county Republicans, is that he was Jewish from a family of Holocaust survivors. Many residents of his district are Holocaust survivors, and the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. 

Santos has since walked back his statement that he's Jewish to say he meant "Jew-ish."

"He's not a normal person," said County Executive Bruce Blakeman. "He needs to get help."

Blakeman said America is forgiving, particularly when people atone for their mistakes and get help, but vowed the county would not work with Santos until he corrects course. 

A fellow congressman from New York, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, also called for Santos to step down and said he will not associate with Santos in Congress. D'Esposito said he will encourage other members to shun him as well. 

Meanwhile, a defiant Santos told reporters he "will not" resign. 

At about 1 p.m., he issued a similar statement on Twitter: 

"I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living. I will NOT resign!"

Santos, who was sworn in early Saturday morning, is facing backlash and criminal scrutiny related to campaign finances and alleged lies about his personal and professional resume. 

The Nassau County Republicans, who on Wednesday called for Santos' resignation during a news conference on Long Island, also blamed themselves and their vetting process. 

When Santos approached the county committee in 2020 to seek their endorsement, they believed the resume he submitted was "totally truthful," but much of it was "untrue," Cairo said. 

"Shame on me for believing people," he said. 

Cairo said the Santos campaign was full of fabrications, including that he was a volleyball star at a college he never attended. 

"He deceived voters," he said. "His lies were not mere fibs. He disgraced the House of Representatives."

More:What can Congress do about Rep.-elect George Santos, who lied ahead of winning his election?

The latest call follows action Tuesday from New York Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, who filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee and requested an investigation. 

During a news conference yesterday morning, Scalise said the matter was being handled through internal discussions.

The New York Conservative Party is also joining the calls for Santos to resign.

"Mr. Santos's profound use of mistruths as a candidate morally disqualifies him from serving in public office and exposes him to potential legal action, seriously compromising his ability to represent his constituents," party Chairman Gerard Kassar said in a statement.

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Contributing: Ledyard King

Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.