'I hate that I helped' George Santos, Congressional fabulist

As Congressman George Santos faces a vote to be expelled from the US House of Representatives, the BBC spoke to several of his constituents, friends and staff who have felt betrayed by his lies.

When Cathy Soref sat next to George Santos at a fundraiser for another local Republican politician in the New York region of Long Island in 2021, she, like many others, was instantly charmed.

The then-33-year-old seemed "nerdy", "whip-it smart" and a supporter of all the key conservative ideals, Ms Soref told the BBC.

The two would eventually forge a friendship, with Mr Santos stopping by Ms Soref's house for coffee, telling her about the time he claimed to have battled cancer. In return, Ms Soref introduced him to her friends, major donors to his campaign, at expensive fundraisers she hosted at her home in Nassau County.

That friendship disintegrated when Ms Soref and the rest of the country discovered Mr Santos had lied about much of his biography and was immersed in a host of fraud scandals, including allegedly stealing thousands of dollars earmarked for a dying service dog's surgery.

The 68-year-old was "gobsmacked", she told the BBC. "I've never been so betrayed by a person to my face in my life."

Ms Soref is one of several angry friends, acquaintances, employees and voters who have been left scarred by their support for the congressman, who faces federal fraud charges and could become only the sixth person in history to be expelled from the House as soon as this week.

Prosecutors allege Mr Santos spent campaign funds to enrich himself and used "repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress".

A report released from the House Ethics Committee this month found the 35-year-old congressman spent campaign money on personal items such as luxury goods and Botox.

Mr Santos has admitted to fabricating parts of his background but has denied any criminal wrongdoing. The BBC has reached out to him for comment. A spokesperson for his congressional office said it does not comment on personal allegations.

He has steadfastly refused to resign.

"This place is run on hypocrisy," he told media on Tuesday, with the vote looming. "I'm done playing a part for the circus. If they want me to leave Congress, they're going to have to take that tough vote."

From an early age, Mr Santos was a people pleaser, according to Tiffany Bogosian, a personal injury attorney who attended middle school with Mr Santos in Sunnyside, Queens.

Back in his native Queens, Mr Santos seemed to be bullied by his classmates over his sexuality, she said. The future lawmaker would later run his New York campaign as an openly gay Republican, the first LGBTQ member of the party to be elected to Congress.

But that didn't stop him from trying to win over the popular kids by taking them out shopping for clothes, Ms Bogosian said.

"I felt like I stood up for him when I told him not to buy people's friendships," she said.

When Ms Bogosian heard the news of her middle school classmate's indictment, she realised she might have been duped, too.

In 2020, after a run-in with Mr Santos at Starbucks, she agreed to help him with a legal problem, feeling a familiar urge to stick up for her old friend.

Mr Santos had been charged with theft by Pennsylvania authorities for allegedly writing over $15,000 worth (£11,800) of bad cheques to steal puppies from Amish breeders. He reportedly held an adoption event with dogs just days later to raise money for his pet charity.

Ms Bogosian wrote a letter to Pennsylvania officials on his behalf, reiterating Mr Santos' claims that his cheque book was stolen before the puppy purchases. The charges were later dismissed.

"Thinking back, I really do think that he kind of got over on these Amish people," she said. "I feel like an idiot."

"I hate that I helped him so much," she added.

As he ascended into the world of politics, Mr Santos learned how to make a good first impression, shedding his schoolyard outcast image.

"He was very nice, very engaging. Big sense of humour. In the beginning, I genuinely liked him," said Naysa Woomer, who served as his communications director for six months.

Ms Woomer - who had 15 years of experience working in politics - was excited about the prospect of working for a fellow millennial conservative from the north-east.

When news broke that Mr Santos had fabricated most of his resume, Ms Woomer pressed on with the role, convinced the two could solve the problem with an effective communications strategy.

"I just thought, 'Maybe we can fix this,'" she said.

Ms Woomer quickly realised she would not be able to solve Mr Santos' scandals, as he and his team proved disinterested in her advice.

He resisted her suggestions to go on an "apology tour", instead largely avoiding constituents and courting the media by leaving treats like fast food and doughnuts outside his office to entice reporters to stop by, Ms Woomer said.

"It struck me as someone who was enjoying the media attention a little too much," she said.

Then in May, Mr Santos was indicted on 13 federal counts.

"My stomach dropped," she said. "I was thoroughly disgusted. I just said 'Enough is enough.'"

She resigned, one of only two aides to do so.

As the House prepares for a vote on her former boss's fate, Ms Woomer believes he should be expelled.

"He is unfit to serve," she said.

Ms Bogosian agrees. She believes an expulsion would help force Mr Santos to answer to those he allegedly defrauded and deceived.

"Most criminals, they steal something and they make off into the sunset," Ms Bogosian said. "He ran onto the global stage."

Ms Soref, however, feels conflicted. She ultimately does not want to see him leave because she does not want to lose a key Republican vote in Congress.

"The left is so intense. I do not want him replaced by Democrats," she said.

But if she could do it all over again, she said she deeply regrets her support for Santos.

When news broke of his indictment, Mr Santos called Ms Soref at home. She didn't answer.

"To have someone in your house who's such a bald-faced liar is just bone chilling, quite frankly, and I never want to see the guy's face again," she said.

She feels embarrassed for bringing him into her circle of friends, too.

All told, she spent around $5,000 on campaign contributions and fundraising events for the Republican.

"I'm furious at myself for not really going by [Ronald] Reagan's warning of 'trust, but verify.'"