Early Life and Education of George Santos: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of George Santos. A timeline of key moments.

George Santos is a former American politician and convicted felon who served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 3rd congressional district in 2023 before being expelled from Congress. He initially ran unsuccessfully in 2020, but won the seat in 2022, defeating Democrat Robert Zimmerman. Santos made history as the first openly LGBTQ Republican elected to Congress. However, his tenure was short-lived and marked by controversy, leading to his expulsion.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1985: Mother Immigrated to Florida

In 1985, Fátima Devolder, George Santos's mother, immigrated to Florida and worked in agriculture.

July 22, 1988: George Santos's Birth

On July 22, 1988, George Anthony Devolder Santos was born.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Parents' Marriage Ends

Around 1998, George Santos's parents' marriage appears to have ended, as his father remarried in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

June 2001: Santos's Mother Reported Living in Brazil

On her 2003 visa application, Santos wrote that his mother was the first female executive at a major financial institution, worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and died a few years later after surviving the September 11 attacks. In June 2001, however, Fatima reported that she was living in Brazil.

2005: Began dressing in drag

According to former acquaintances, George Santos began dressing in drag around 2005.

2007: Trip to the US

Around 2007, George Santos returned from a trip to the U.S. with expensive materials for a dress.

2008: Moved to Niterói, Brazil

Around 2008, George Santos moved to Niterói, Brazil, where his mother was living.

2008: Involved in LGBT Activism

Around 2008, George Santos was involved in local LGBT activism in Brazil, attending meetings and Pride parades.

2008: Check Fraud in Brazil

In 2008, after obtaining his high school equivalency diploma, George Santos forged checks, stolen from a man his mother was caring for, to buy R$1,313 (about US$700) worth of clothing in Brazil. He gave his name as Délio and presented identification bearing his photo but the check owner's name.

2011: Lived in Brazil until 2011

George Santos lived in Niterói, Brazil until 2011 with his mother, Fátima.

December 2013: Santos moves into apartment with roommate

In December 2013, Yasser Rabello, a onetime roommate, described moving into the first apartment after befriending Santos; it had only two bedrooms and one bathroom, and Santos shared it with his mother, sister, then later his boyfriend and often another roommate.

2013: Brazilian charges against Santos

In 2013, Santos faced Brazilian charges, which his boyfriend at the time discovered in 2015.

2013: Brazilian Court Describes Santos as American

In 2013, a Brazilian court described George Santos as American.

September 2014: Hamilton makes loan to Santos

In September 2014, Peter Hamilton made a loan to George Santos for moving expenses, which Santos was later ordered to repay in October 2015.

2014: Santos signs lease on apartment

In 2014, George Santos signed a lease on an apartment in Whitestone.

2014: Claimed NYU graduate status

In 2014, Peter Hamilton recalled that George Santos claimed to be a graduate of NYU's business school.

2014: Eviction and financial instability

In the summer of 2014, George Santos was locked out of his apartment and told the housing court that he needed access to feed pet fish, which his roommate could not recall ever existing. Also in 2014, eviction notices were sent monthly, new roommates rapidly cycled through the apartment, and Santos' personal finances fluctuated wildly.

2015: Relationship with boyfriend sours

In early 2015, George Santos's relationship with his boyfriend soured when his boyfriend stopped believing his promises. After Santos's boyfriend came to believe Santos had taken his cell phone to pawn it, he discovered the 2013 Brazilian charges against Santos and moved out.

January 2016: Claimed Robbery

In January 2016, George Santos claimed to have been robbed of money he was on his way to give his former landlady's attorney in settlement of her eviction claim against him.

May 2016: GoFundMe page set up for service dog's surgery

In May 2016, a GoFundMe page was set up by Anthony Devolder (one of Santos's aliases) to raise money for surgery to remove a life-threatening stomach tumor from Richard Osthoff's service dog.

2016: Pulse Nightclub Shooting

In 2016 the Pulse nightclub shooting happened.

2016: Mother's death and funeral collection

In 2016, following the death of George Santos' mother, a priest recalled Santos stating that his family could not afford a funeral. A collection at a memorial Mass raised a "significant" amount for the family, which was given to Santos.

2016: Moved to Orlando, Florida

In early 2016, George Santos moved to Orlando, Florida, where HotelsPro was opening an office.

January 2017: Service dog dies after fundraiser funds allegedly stolen

In January 2017, the service dog of Richard Osthoff died after the GoFundMe fundraiser money was allegedly stolen by George Santos.

March 2019: Santos's Appearance at #WalkAway Foundation Event

At a March 2019 event held by the conservative #WalkAway Foundation, Santos, introducing himself as Anthony Devolder, claimed to have formed a group called United for Trump and asked Blaire White, a transgender YouTuber, how she could "help educate other trans people from not having to follow the narrative that the media and the Democrats put forward".

July 2019: Counter-Protest in Buffalo, New York

In July 2019, United for Trump, led by George Santos, staged a counter-protest to an anti-Trump rally in Buffalo, New York, which led to shouting and a fistfight.

2019: Claimed attendance at Horace Mann School

In 2019, George Santos claimed that he attended the Horace Mann School as a child before withdrawing due to family hardship.

January 2020: Santos Claims Jewish Ancestry on Cable TV

In a January 2020 appearance on Talking GOP, a cable TV show he co-hosted, Santos claimed his maternal grandfather grew up Jewish, converted to Catholicism before the Holocaust, and raised his children Catholic. He also said, "I believe we are all Jewish, at the end – because Jesus Christ is Jewish."

July 2020: Move to Whitestone, Queens

In July 2020, George Santos and his partner moved to a rowhouse in Whitestone, Queens.

October 2020: Claimed Knee Replacement

In October 2020, George Santos claimed to have had both knees replaced.

2020: Claimed MBA loan payoff

In 2020, George Santos claimed to have paid off his MBA student loans.

2020: Continued claims about Horace Mann School

In 2020, George Santos continued to assert that he had attended Horace Mann, despite the school denying those claims.

January 2021: Alleged vandalism incident

George Santos mentioned an alleged vandalism incident in January 2021, stating it was the reason he left Whitestone.

July 2021: Claim about mother's death

In July 2021, George Santos claimed that 9/11 was responsible for his mother's death.

October 2021: Claim about mother at 9/11

In October 2021, George Santos stated that his mother was "caught up in the ash cloud" during the 9/11 attacks but never sought relief because the family could afford medical bills.

2021: Alleged Mugging in New York City

In 2021, George Santos claimed to have been mugged in New York City, where thieves stole his briefcase, watch, and shoes.

March 2022: Claimed Departure from Whitestone Due to Vandalism

In March 2022, George Santos claimed that he left Whitestone because of an alleged January 2021 vandalism incident.

August 2022: Departure from Whitestone Residence

In August 2022, George Santos moved out of the Whitestone residence, leaving $17,000 in damages according to his landlord.

December 2022: Claim about parents at World Trade Center during 9/11

In December 2022, George Santos claimed that his parents survived being at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks.

December 26, 2022: Santos Clarifies His Jewish Identity

During a December 26, 2022 interview, Santos said: "I never claimed to be Jewish. I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said I was 'Jew-ish'".

2022: Brain Tumor Claim

In 2022, George Santos' campaign did not provide details or answer questions about his purported brain tumor.

February 2023: Piers Morgan Interview

In February 2023, during an interview with Piers Morgan, George Santos insisted his mother was at the World Trade Center on 9/11, and accused people of insensitivity for questioning his mother's legacy.

May 2023: Santos Claims DNA Tests Vindicated Jewish Ancestry Claims

In 2023 media appearances, Santos claimed that his claim to Jewish ancestry was vindicated by DNA test kits; however, he did not reveal the DNA information. Santos said on a May 2023 podcast that he was raised Catholic but considered himself a "member of the tribe" because his mother's ancestry was predominantly Jewish.

October 2023: Claim About Niece's Disappearance

In October 2023, George Santos told the Times that his niece had vanished from a Queens playground, only to be found 40 minutes later in the company of two Chinese men, suspecting retaliation for his opposition to the Chinese Communist Party.

November 2023: Santos Claims to be Gathering Evidence of Jewish Grandparents' Ancestry

In 2023, Santos continued to promise proof of his grandparents' ancestry but cited the Russo-Ukrainian War as a complication. In November 2023, he said he was "finishing getting the last pieces" of evidence that his grandparents, after emigrating to Brazil, had forged documents that enabled them to "blend in and all of that".

November 2023: Unpaid Funeral Home Bill

In November 2023, it was reported in Vanity Fair that the funeral home was never paid the $6,000 owed for Santos' mother's funeral services.

2023: Santos Attends Trump Rally

In 2023, Santos attended a rally of supporters outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump was arraigned on felony charges of falsifying business records.

2023: Boyfriend reveals Santos never worked

In 2023, Santos's boyfriend at the time, Pedro Vilarva, told the Times that Santos claimed he was expecting money from his investment work at Citigroup, but never actually went to work.

2023: Santos's Jewish Ancestry Claims Resurface

In early 2023, the video of Santos's claims from January 2020 regarding his maternal grandfather's Jewish heritage resurfaced. Santos had claimed that his maternal grandparents were Jewish Holocaust refugees who fled Soviet Ukraine and German-occupied Belgium.