Congressman-Elect George Santos addresses rumors of mass fabrication, digs deeper

SYOSSET, N.Y. (KYMA, KECY/CNN) - The hits keep on coming for Congressman-Elect George Santos, the Republican from Long Island who got caught embellishing pretty much everything.

He'd never been to college when he said he did, he noted his family perished in the holocaust. He's not actually Jewish.

He then said the media was attacking him partly for being gay, even though he divorced a woman two years ago. 

Now, Santos is speaking out and admits that he lied about a few key point.

In an interview with NYC local radio station WABC, he skirts around much of the questions the public has been waiting for him to answer.

"I'm not a fraud, not a criminal," Santos defiantly declares.

But, he admits he embellished his résumé, after a New York Times article exposed him, saying he was lying while running to represent the people of the third district.

"I'm not gonna make excuses for this, but a lot of people inflate their resumes or twist a little. I'm not saying I'm not guilty of that...I've done so much good work in my career."

Further confessions

The 34-year-old claimed to have worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

But, in an interview with The New York Post, he confesses he worked for a company representing both of them.

Santos also claimed to have graduated from Baruch College in 2010. Now, he says he never graduated from any college

"I wanna make sure if I disappointed anyone, by résumé embellishment, I'm sorry. One thing is: I will be sworn in, take office, [and] be an effective member of the legislature."

In a previous interview with Long Island CBS, he said, "I've always said, 'We have a moral obligation to leave a better country for the next generation than we found it.' And I don't believe that's the direction country is going in."

Calls to step down

Long Island Democrats are calling for Santos to step down.

Legislature Member Josh Lafazan, who ran against Santos's opponent for the Democratic nomination for Congress and posted strong numbers, says George Santos publicly admitted what we've known for a week. That he is "a liar and a fraud".

Others also wonder how both sides didn't do better homework.

When Santos asked if he will sue The New York Times for defamation, he says he doesn't know options.

However, he will be looking into it.