Embattled Republican Santos faces new heat over 'Jew-ish' heritage claim

 U.S. Representative-elect George Santos, a New York Republican who this week acknowledged lying about his education and employment history while running for Congress, faced fresh criticism on Tuesday over his claims of Jewish heritage.

The Republican Jewish Coalition said Santos would not be welcome at the group's future events after misleading its members about his ties to their faith, Qazet.az reports.

"He deceived us and misrepresented his heritage," said Matt Brooks, the coalition's chief executive. "In public comments and to us personally, he previously claimed to be Jewish."

The group issued its statement a day after Santos told the New York Post that he "never claimed to be Jewish," despite what the newspaper described as a message on his campaign website saying that his mother was Jewish and that his grandparents escaped the Nazis during World War Two.

Santos has vowed to serve out his two-year term in Congress, and House Republican leaders have been silent about the controversy. The office of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy did not respond to a query seeking comment on Tuesday.