CD-3 without representation: officials

Ex-Rep. Steve Israel says with Santos ‘We don’t have a member of Congress,’ needs go unmet

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Since Rep. George Santos took office Jan. 3, local government officials say the district he represents essentially has not had a representative at all.

Santos was elected as the District 3 member of Congress in November, beating out Democrat Robert Zimmerman, and soon after was caught in a web of state and federal probes into his personal, professional and financial background. An expose in The New York Times in December revealed that much of his resume included false claims that misrepresented often non-existent achievements, and more falsehoods have continuously surfaced since then.

Despite being outed for his lies, Santos announced Monday he is running for re-election in 2024 in the district, which straddles Nassau and Queens counties.

With calls for his expulsion amid an investigation by the House Ethics Committee as well as federal probes and state reviews, local officials have said he does not represent the ideals of the district and is not serving them as a representative.

Steve Israel, former District 3 congressman from 2013-2017, said the major part of the work that his office did was constituent casework.

“There’s an assumption that a member of Congress spends most of his or her time legislating,” Israel said. “That is a misassumption. The real work of a member of Congress is spent at home solving people’s problems.”

Due to the historical representation in District 3 and the prioritization of constituent casework, Israel said that had fostered an expectation of those services.

“New Yorkers are pretty demanding people,” Israel said jokingly. “They expect a member of Congress who’s going to work for them and work hard.”

Today, with George Santos now representing District 3, that is gone.

“We don’t have a member of Congress right now,” Israel said.

He said that instead of having a representative who is working for their district, Santos is more concerned with the legal ramifications of his actions.

“This is a massive disservice and it’s aggravating for me because we worked so hard to deliver and now we have a member of Congress who is consumed, not with the problems of those he represents, but his own legal problems,” Israel said.

Israel said he has never seen Santos working with constituents at public events.

“You can’t be a representative unless you are out in the community listening to people,” Israel said. “He’s hiding. How could you represent people when you’re afraid to go out and be seen by them?”

Israel said Santos presents three problems in his effectiveness as a representative: He can’t accurately represent his constituents if he doesn’t show up with them, constituents and their needs are not being accurately serviced and “he’s an anathema.”

Nobody in Congress is willing to work with him, which Israel said is crucial to being an effective representative.

“He’s 0-3 in effective representation,” Israel said.

Along with House members not wanting to work with him, other local officials share the same reluctance.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said she has had no contact with Santos since his lies were initially exposed in December.

Prior to then, she said she would see him at some events during his campaign, where she would have conversations with him.