Fact Check: Did Republicans Nominate a Registered Democrat to Replace George Santos?

By Lorri Wickenhauser December 16, 2023 at 12:12pm

In the latest twist regarding the House seat once held by the expelled New York Rep. George Santos, the state GOP appears to have chosen a Democrat as a replacement.

Mazi Melesa Pilip would seem to check all the boxes for a solid GOP candidate, Politico reported.

She is a two-term Republican member of the Nassau County Legislature who has championed law enforcement and low property taxes. She is also a pro-Israel Orthodox Jew and has even served in the Israel Defense Forces.

However, Pilip has been a registered Democrat since 2012, Politico reported, citing public records it had “uncovered.”

“The Nassau County Board of Elections’ spokesperson called [Politico] on Pilip’s behalf and confirmed she is an enrolled Democrat.”

Commenting on the situation, the outlet noted, “It seems like New York’s 3rd Congressional [District] is destined for drama.”

Business Insider reported that the Ethiopian-born Pilip “professes to be” a Republican, despite the evidence uncovered by Politico.

In securing the New York GOP nod, she “beat out a slew of other hopeful GOP nominees,” including a U.S. Air Force veteran and another IDF veteran.

Pilip will be running against Democrat Tom Suozzi, a former House member who stepped down in 2022 to run for governor of New York. He lost the Democratic nomination to incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Should Santos have been expelled from Congress?

Politico described Pilip as a “firebrand” and added that she is “a popular figure in Great Neck, where she lives with her seven children.”

The special election to fill Santos’ vacant seat will be held on Feb. 13, according to Business Insider.

Santos is facing 23 federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress.

He was expelled from the House on Dec. 1, just two weeks after a 56-page House Ethics Committee report revealed additional allegations, including “substantial evidence” of the congressman using campaign funds for things like luxury items, cosmetic procedures and personal travel.

Santos seems unfazed by the recent setback and has quickly latched onto a lucrative new income stream.

He is now making videos on Cameo, a website that allows celebrities to record personal messages to fans for a fee.

Santos has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars from the platform, according to Business Insider.

“He originally priced each video at $75 but has since upped each to $500 as orders rushed in,” the outlet reported.

A Note from Our Staff:

Did you know that 90 percent of advertisers will have nothing to do with The Western Journal? The liberal elites have put us on one of their financial kill lists.

They did it because we’ve told the truth and spoken out against them for over a decade. And since they couldn’t shut us up, now, they’re trying to starve us out.

We’re turning to you because, frankly, we have to have your help. It might not sound like much, but just one membership to The Western Journal can make a real difference.

We don’t have a huge staff, big salaries, or deep donor pockets. We’re family-owned and independent. But because we're independent from the elites, we have to rely on readers like you.

Can we count on you for just a single membership? The cost of a month-long membership is less than a single cup of Starbucks coffee. And, unlike with Starbucks, you can be 100 percent certain that every penny we spend goes toward fighting for traditional American values and against liberal elites.

Please help us continue exposing the truth. Please join today.

Thank you for reading The Western Journal!

Submit a Correction →