LISTEN: George Santos Exclaims, ‘Don Lemon Just Texted Me!’ in Secretly-Recorded Audio in Which He’s Giving an Aide Bad News
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
A former volunteer for Rep. George Santos (R-NY) secretly recorded a conversation with the congressman, who was in the process of telling the aide he would not be getting a job. At one point, Santos interrupted the discussion to say he had just received a text message from CNN anchor Don Lemon.
The aide called the meeting with the serial liar and beleaguered congressman “insulting.”
Talking Points Memo obtained the audio and published it on Thursday. The audio was accompanied by an article providing the backstory.
Derek Myers, who had been working as a journalist, became a volunteer for Santos just last month. On Monday, Jan. 30 he met with Santos to discuss his future, but learned he would not be getting a job.
Santos pointed to charges Myers faces in Ohio for he publishing secretly-recorded audio of courtroom testimony he received from a source. TPM noted the charges have prompted outrage among journalists. The congressman told Myers the charges are “concerning to this institution.”
Myers told the publication he couldn’t believe the hypocrisy.
“I’m thinking to myself, I’m a threat and concern to this institution — George Santos, you’re George Santos!” he said.
Perhaps even more humiliating was the fact that during the conversation, Santos checked his phone and found a text from Lemon.
“Don Lemon just texted me!” Santos exclaimed. “I’m sorry, I’m listening to you. Don Lemon just texted me! ‘Why were you mad at me?’ And it’s a video of me complaining about Don Lemon!”
The relevant audio starts at the 13:30 mark:
“It was insulting and it hurt my feelings,” Myers told TPM.
Despite the “insulting” moment, he returned to Santos’ office on Thursday to again seek a job, but was told by an aide that wouldn’t happen.
Santos has faced calls to resign after it was revealed he fabricated much of his life story. He was found to have lied about where he went to school, where he worked, and about being Jewish, among many other tall tales.
