GOP Rep. George Santos denies claims he carried out as a drag queen

Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos is strongly denying claims that he as soon as carried out as a drag queen.

“The newest obsession from the media claiming that I’m a drag Queen or ‘carried out’ as a drag Queen is categorically false,” the New York congressman tweeted Thursday after a Brazilian drag performer posted a photograph of herself with one other particular person wearing drag that she claims is Santos.

“The media continues to make outrageous claims about my life whereas I’m working to ship outcomes. I cannot be distracted nor fazed by this,” the tweet continued.

Santos, who represents New York’s third District, has been underneath immense scrutiny over the previous month for mendacity and misrepresenting his academic, work and household historical past, together with falsely claiming he was Jewish and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. He additionally faces federal and native investigations into his marketing campaign funds. Santos has admitted to “embellishing” his resume however has maintained he’s “not a prison.”

The congressman – an out homosexual man – was recognized by a longtime native performer who says Santos glided by the identify Kitara Ravache. On January 12, performer Eula Rochards posted an image of herself with one other particular person in drag who she alleged was Santos at a Rio de Janeiro-area parade.

The picture is from a newspaper clipping from 2008 and identifies the particular person Rochards says is Santos as Kitara Revache.

Rochards additionally supplied to CNN one other, clearer picture of the particular person she claims is Santos, along with the clipping.

CNN has not independently verified the photographs.

In an interview with CNN, Rochards stated that it’s Santos within the footage, including that she knew him from LGBTQ occasions he attended within the city of Niterói, close to Rio de Janeiro, the place she stated he was well-known within the homosexual neighborhood.

Rochards stated she acknowledged Santos from a current information report and dug up the previous footage however was shocked to study that Santos was a Republican.

“I don’t know him now, I solely knew him then,” she stated.

“But when [Jair] Bolsonaro can win right here, why wouldn’t Santos win there?” she added, referring to the previous Brazilian president.

Rochards stated she needs Santos would come clean with this a part of his previous.

“It’s marvelous work [to be a drag queen]. He can’t discriminate in opposition to what he himself did, and if he does he’s discriminating in opposition to me,” she stated.

Santos has not replied to CNN’s request for remark. He advised NBC Information in a earlier interview that he has “by no means skilled discrimination within the Republican Celebration.”

Santos has voiced help previously for insurance policies seen as discriminatory in opposition to LGBTQ people. In April 2022, he posted a video on Fb vocalizing his help for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ laws in Florida banning sure educating about sexual orientation and gender identification in school rooms. Within the video, he accused Democrats of “desirous to groom our youngsters” – a homophobic time period that invokes an concept that LGBTQ individuals corrupt youngsters.