joke's on you

George Santos mocked the physical attributes of a Democrat rival and got schooled

Rep. George Santos and legislator Josh Lafazan
Rep. George Santos and legislator Josh Lafazan (Photo: US Gov/@johslafazn/Instagram)

Following the countless allegations of dishonesty that have dogged the gay, GOP Rep. George Santos, one would think he’d be going to lengths to show some professionalism and decorum now he’s in office.

Think again.

Over the weekend Santos got into a Twitter spat with a Democratic rival for his New York district.

Josh Lafazan, 28, is a Nassau County Legislator for District 18. He’s held elected office since the age of 18. Lafazan has his eyes set on taking Santos’ district in 2024. He ran to become the Democratic nominee in 2022 but lost to Robert Zimmerman, who then lost his seat to Santos.

Lafazan has been a consistent critic of Santos on Twitter.

On Saturday, Lafazan tweeted, “Unlike @Santos4Congress, I didn’t have to lie to get elected. My credentials are clean, I’m actually Jewish, & unlike yours, my diploma from Harvard is real 😀”

Santos, summoning up the ghost of his former drag persona Kitara Ravache, shot back, “Real like your chin?”

The tweet included an old photo of Lafazan with a less-prominent jawline.

Attacking someone for their physical appearance comes across as rather desperate and childish on Santos’ part.

Even worse, Lafazan went on to clarify the change in his appearance. He said he underwent corrective jaw surgery in 2021. It “helped me breathe normally & saved my life. My insurance covered it, & it’s why I’m fighting so hard for universal health care.

“You are beneath the office you hold,” Lafazan added. “And I can’t wait to replace you in Congress, in 2024 or sooner. Send postcards from jail 👋”

George Santos 2024 and finance questions

Santos today announced his intention to run again in 2024. “When I ran in 2022, no one said we’d win,” Santos said in a statement. “‘That’s a safe Biden seat,’ they said. Well, guess what? That D+2, Biden +10 seat I won by 8.5 points. Not only won but made history as the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress.

“Since the Left is pushing radical agendas, the economy is struggling, and Washington is incapable of solving anything, we need a fighter who knows the district and can serve the people fearlessly, and independent of local or national party influence … I’m not shy about doing what it takes to get the job done. I’m proud to announce my candidacy to run for re-election and continue to serve the people of NY-3.”

Of course, in order to be re-elected, Santos will need cash. And that’s an area where he may struggle. The Hill reported yesterday on Santos’ campaign finances for the first quarter of 2023. According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, in the first three months of this year, his campaign received $5,333 in individual contributions.

However, it spent $8,353 in refunds to individual donors. The documents showed no information on other expenditures such as staff expenses or loan repayments.

Santos’ finances in the run-up to his November 2022 election victory continue to be investigated by authorities. A source close to the lawmaker told the New York Post that despite his reputation and controversy, Santos was confident “he can raise $500,000 to $750,000 in the second quarter of 2023” to help him win re-election.

Expect Josh Lafazan to criticize him every step of the way.

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