Scandal-plagued US politician George Santos has denied taking part in a drag show after video emerged of him wearing a skirt, necklace and earrings at a gay pride parade in Brazil.
Video obtained by Reuters appears to show Santos cross-dressing at a 2005 gay pride parade in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.
A performer who goes by the stage name Eula Rochard told the news agency that she befriended Santos at the parade – three years before he performed in a drag show.
Another claimed he had aspired to be Miss Gay Rio.
Santos described the claims as “absolutely false,” adding: “I’m not going to get distracted or worried about that.”
He was the first non-sitting openly gay party member elected to the House of Representatives.
Santos was yesterday appointed to two powerful committee positions by newly elected Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
But the New York representative has come under fire for a series of scandals.
He admitted that he did not graduate from college or work for the two major Wall Street firms listed on his resume.
Santos claimed his mother was inside the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but records obtained by NBC News indicate she was living in Brazil at the time. His campaign website said his mother died a few years after the attack; she died in 2016, according to US media reports.
He also faces charges of dishonesty over his description of his Jewish ancestry, and Claims he stole $3,000 from fundraiser to save a veteran’s dying dog.
Santos was accused of hypocrisy after prominently supporting Florida’s Parents’ Educational Rights Act, which bans classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity, and was labeled a “don’t say gay” bill.
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Colleagues in the House of Representatives and his Republican Party have urged the under-fire politician to resign.
But national leaders in the Republican Party have backed him.
The party has just four seats in the House of Representatives, making Santos’ presence crucial.
If he resigns, a special election in his Long Island district could result in a Democratic victory.
Santos voted for McCarthy in all 15 votes needed to elect House speaker.