George Santos ‘stands by’ his 2020 claim that Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in jail

Beleaguered New York Republican Rep. George Santos said Thursday that he “stands by” his belief that pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was “murdered,” a claim he made on a podcast in August 2020.

Speaking to reporters outside his office, including DailyMail.com, Santos also denied claiming he survived an assassination attempt, one of the latest in a series of public relations crises for the freshman congressman.

Santos told The Rory Sauter Show in August 2020 that he had met Epstein a “couple” times and described him as a “cordial gentleman”, saying several times that he believed the disgraced financier did not commit suicide.

Asked by DailyMail.com if he still believes the murder conspiracy theory now, Santos replied: “I stand by that comment.”

Another earlier clip, resurfaced by MSNBC, reportedly shows Santos saying in Portuguese: “We’ve already suffered an attempt on my life, an assassination attempt, a threatening letter, having to have the police, a police escort standing in front of our house.” . ‘

But Santos told reporters on Thursday: “The interview was conducted in Portuguese, and whoever translated it mistranslated it.”

He clarified that he was referring to ‘death threats’.

‘Like every member of Congress gets them all the time. I can give you a stack of them,’ Santos said.

He told reporters on Thursday that he would hold a news conference “soon” to discuss the growing controversies, but declined to give details of a specific date.

In his August 2020 podcast appearance, Santos was pressed by the far-right host on the theory that Epstein was still alive. Santos maintained that he was assassinated, but added that “anything can happen” nowadays.

Epstein committed suicide while awaiting court proceedings in a New York City jail after he was indicted on sex trafficking and other charges in 2019.

His death has sparked conspiracy theories that he was killed to protect more powerful people who were involved in his alleged child-trafficking rings.

The freshman congressman admitted to lying about his educational and professional credentials and fabricating details about his heritage. Since then, he has faced increasing scrutiny as more of his backstory is revealed.

Among the latest revelations is that his mother was not at the World Trade Center in New York City during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as he had claimed, but was instead in Brazil, his home country.

But in the 2020 interview, Santos said without elaborating that his mother had “fled socialism in Europe.”

Pressed on the theory that Epstein was still alive, he finally seemed to admit: “Look, it’s 2020. I’ve seen the strangest, unthinkable, unimaginable thing happen this year.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still walking around and then we’re all like, ‘Oh my gosh, that guy’s alive,’ and we can’t tell.” So you know what? It’s 2020, anything can happen.

But Santos maintained his belief that the disgraced billionaire was murdered, while revealing that they had come face to face as they questioned the circumstances of his death.

He said Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, “should be offered the protection of… foreign custody, so she doesn’t get murdered like Epstein did, and she doesn’t go to her grave with all the dirty secrets of the superiors”. rises in control of this country’

“I met Epstein at a couple of private equity conferences,” Santos said. He’s six foot two and the guy was taller than me. There’s no way you can hang yourself from a bunk at that height.

When asked what Epstein was like in person, Santos first said that he “didn’t really get to know a good feeling for the guy,” but seemed to praise his character for what little he claimed to know.

“As for me, I have my, you know, my coffee, hello and goodbye, a two-minute conversation standing by a pastry table, having coffee, he was a very nice person,” Santos said.

“I’m not saying he’s a nice person, and especially after all that’s been in the media, but you know, a very nice guy, a very warm and friendly gentleman.”

He added: “Who would know that guy has an island that sex-trafficks girls and boys, to satisfy the pleasure of Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton?”