In George Santos' district, local officials turn elsewhere for help

For two of Long Island’s three freshman congressmen, it’s been a busy January of appointments and phone calls and schmoozing with local officials back home.

In the easternmost congressional district, the office of new Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) has discussed the Asharoken sea wall, Riverhead Town Square, Middle Country Road revitalization and the dredging of Northport Harbor, said his spokeswoman Lauren Lembo. 

In the district covering the southern half of Nassau County, there have been discussions involving the office of new Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park) about flood-mitigating sea gates in Freeport and coastal resiliency in Island Park and Long Beach, with a planned discussion about the Bay Park Conveyance Project, said his spokesman Matt Capp.

In the Island’s westernmost district, new Rep. George Santos (R-Nassau/Queens) has been busy, too.

But just barely, if at all, with the needs of local government officials, according to interviews with Newsday and a review of Santos' Twitter accounts.

Santos has been buffeted by still-expanding revelations of lies and distortions about his past, as well as allegations of involvement in scams, nearly all of which were uncovered weeks after his election in November. He’s apparently made few if any known inroads with the local officials who run the dozens of towns, villages, cities and other government entities in the chunk of Nassau and sliver of eastern Queens he represents.

Just as the 750,000 or so constituents in each of America's 435 congressional districts can seek out their local member of Congress to help with immigration issues, veterans affairs, admission to military academies and more, governments look to that same politician to act as a key liaison to the federal bureaucracy: unlocking grant money, untangling red tape and bringing home the proverbial bacon.

“I have not heard a word from George Santos,” said Glen Cove Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck, a fellow Republican. She said she's turning to other members of Congress to address the city’s federal needs — repaving roads, rehabbing parking garages, fixing water mains to avert emergency shutdowns, and more.

“George Santos is busy making a fool out of himself. Not looking to help me or anybody, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.

Santos is the subject of several investigations by county, state and federal prosecutors, as well as an ethics complaint. Among the subjects being probed: his financial dealings and political fundraising activity. Each day seems to bring a new revelation about his past, character, temperament.

“We could really use substantive representation in Washington, D.C., which we are currently obviously not getting, and we don’t anticipate — or at least I don’t anticipate — that the current congressman will be able to do his job effectively with this hanging over his head. So it’s as if we are kind of in limbo now,” said Mineola’s mayor, Paul Pereira, a self-described independent, who said the village counts on the federal government to provide grants such as those that help ensure clean drinking water and improve mass transit.

Local governments look for answers

Weeks after the revelations, about 30 fellow Republicans on Long Island announced they would refuse to work with Santos, suggesting his constituents turn elsewhere for help, such as to D’Esposito’s office.

Santos’ communications director, Naysa Woomer, has not responded to messages seeking comment, nor has Santos answered his cellphone. 

On Twitter, Santos on Thursday criticized press coverage about him: “I am getting the job I signed up for done, while you all spiral out of control.”

In one of his few tweets related directly to his district's needs, he commented on a media personality’s post suggesting that the Village of Roslyn adopt an app for parking meters. He responded Jan. 21: “I’d gladly work with the local village to help facilitate.” A message seeking comment from Roslyn’s mayor wasn’t returned. 

North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte, a Democrat who represents areas including Port Washington, the Plandome villages, Munsey Park and Flower Hill, said that she felt confident when seeking help from Santos' predecessor in the 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Thomas Suozzi. Issues included recovery from destruction wrought by Hurricane Ida in 2021, funding for construction at North Hempstead Beach Park and dropping oysters in Manhasset Bay to improve water quality.

“I just knew it was dealt with,” with appropriate follow-ups, even if not always successfully, she said.

That changed when Santos took office earlier this month, according to Dalimonte.

“I don’t have that anymore,” she said, “Now I have nobody. Who am I contacting? He doesn’t answer his phone.”

Dalimonte has instead gone to the offices of New York’s two U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who have statewide jurisdiction to help any constituent or municipality. 

“Let’s think about that: Gillibrand and Schumer, they represent the entire state. Could you imagine if their offices are now getting phone calls from everyone in Congressional District 3, because we don’t have an effective congressperson? That’s not fair to them. That’s not fair to us,” Dalimonte said.

The North Hempstead town supervisor, Jennifer DeSena, who caucuses with the Republicans but remains a registered Democrat, said that given Santos’ problems, she’s relying on the town’s grant coordinator, others in the delegation such as Schumer, and a lobbyist based in Washington, D.C., to at least maintain what the town’s been getting in recent years.

“I hope that we’re not looking at two years,” she said, “but I believe that with the network we have, that we will be able to take care of what we used to receive from the federal government and from the grants.”

She said that neither she nor her staff have heard from Santos, nor have the offices of the other biggest governments in the district: the county executive’s office, according to spokesman Chris Boyle, or the Oyster Bay supervisor’s office, said spokesman Brian Nevin.

King: 'Always something going on'

Peter King, a Long Island congressman from 1993 until 2021, said he's never heard of a member of Congress with little to no relationship with officials back home. When King, a Republican, was in office, he said, a local municipality's staffer would speak with him or his office at least weekly.

“I mean, there’s always something going on,” King said in an interview, recalling how staff in his office would report: “‘Oh, I was talking to John Smith or Mary Jones yesterday from the city, or so-and-so called from Mineola. You know, somebody called us from the Town of Babylon or the Town of Islip.’”

Much of the work by congressional offices for localities back home goes on behind the scenes, by staff and the member. They acting as a liaison with an alphabet soup of federal agencies to address issues locally: Beach erosion. Superstorm Sandy. Post-9/11 security funding for police forces. MacArthur Airport.

And King had relationships not just with fellow Republicans, he said.

“I’m talking about Democrats now: Richie Schaffer, Steve Bellone, Bill de Blasio, Andrew Cuomo — they would call, their people would call,” he said.

Among the politicians also representing parts of Santos' district, one big name said he'd work with the congressman: New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat. Earlier this month, he answered “yes, yes, definitely” when asked whether he’d work with Santos.

“We’re going to need votes on the federal level, so until it is determined that he no longer should serve, right now, his name is congressman,” Adams said Jan. 12, “and we’re not leaving any stone unturned on who we should be sitting down with to make sure New Yorkers get resources that they need.”

But the mayor and his team have not met with the congressman and his aides, the mayor's press secretary, Fabien Levy, emailed last week.

And the mayor, in an interview with CBS/2 on Friday, appeared to have had enough.

"I think he should resign," Adams said.