In an anticipated interview with comedian Ziwe, ousted Congressman George Santos seems to deny reports of a film based on his controversial time in Congress being developed by HBO, stating “This film will never happen,” while criticizing the book it would be based on as “absolute fiction.”
Key Facts
Santos, who was expelled from Congress earlier this month, denied that a film is in development, even after an HBO representative confirmed to Forbes earlier this month that the adaptation, reminiscent of “The Great Gatsby,” based on Mark Chiusano’s book “The Liar: The Conman, Fraudster, Thief, and Very American Legend of George Santos,” is in development.
HBO confirmed in a statement to Forbes on Monday that the film is still in development.
The Interview and Responses
Ziwe asked Santos if he would like “Saturday Night Live” cast member Bowen Yang — who has impersonated him on the show — to play his role in the film, to which Santos responded that the book the film is based on has “no viewpoint about me or anyone close to me.”
The film was to be scripted by Mike Makoski, who wrote the crime drama “Bad Education.”
In the interview, Santos also stated that he does not know who Harvey Milk and James Baldwin are, prominent figures in the LGBTQ community and human rights activism.
Santos also described a number of other politicians as “corrupt people selling this country,” claiming that if they faced the same scrutiny he has, “you would empty out the entire building.”
Santos remained vague when asked about the politicians he was referring to, saying “They’re all con artists,” although when asked directly, Santos referred to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY), and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) — who proclaimed his innocence in September regarding bribery charges — as “con artists.”
Ziwe also questioned if Santos used stolen credit cards to pay for his clothes, referring to the criminal charges against him, including allegations of using campaign funds to purchase luxury clothing — which Santos denied.
Background
Santos was elected to Congress last November after failing in his initial campaign, representing New York’s 3rd district in Long Island, but his time in Congress has been plagued by repeated controversies. Before taking office, he was accused of lying about large portions of his personal background, including his jobs, college, and family history. In May, he was charged with 13 federal crimes, including fraud and false statements to Congress, money laundering, and theft of public funds, due to allegations of using campaign funds for personal expenses, including car payments and luxury clothing. Santos pleaded not guilty to these charges. Another 10 charges were brought against Santos in October, accusing him of using donors’ credit cards for personal expenses without permission and submitting inflated campaign finance reports. Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges. In November, the House Ethics Committee issued a scathing report, confirming that he violated federal laws and stole money from his campaign as part of a “continuing series of lies” he told to his campaign donors and voters. He was expelled with a vote of 311-114 on December 1, where 105 Republicans joined all but four Democrats present to approve the resolution (two Democrats voted “no” and two voted “present”).
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Santos opened discussions last week with federal prosecutors about a potential plea agreement in his fraud case, according to court filings, while Santos told CBS New York that a plea deal is not “off the table.” Prosecutors requested in the filing that a status conference be held within approximately 30 days.
In-Depth Reading
HBO Is Making A George Santos Film—Here’s What We Know (Forbes)
George Santos Expelled From House (Forbes)
Send me a safe tip. Brian Bushard
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