What will happen to North Hempstead’s cherished Project Independence in the absence of a congressman who can effectively bring funding for the elderly to the district, as Tom Suozzi did? Nina Gordon asked North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena at the Town Board meeting. DeSena curtly replied, “We will do everything possible.”

And what will happen if there is a disaster and we need federal assistance, another constituent wondered.

“We’ll work as hard as we can.”

Vasu Krishnamurthy of Manhasset, wondered about the many areas of federal support town relies on – infrastructure, affordable housing, emergency management, senior services. “Santos is completely useless. Isolated. We cannot rely on him for any services. So what is the town’s plan to make sure we continue to obtain federal resources for our residents?” **See note below

DeSena: ”We will advocate as best we can – rely on other Long Island Congress members and senators.

What about constituent problems with Social Security, Medicare, passports that require a Congress member? And what about federal aid to our public schools to relieve the burden of high property taxes?

“We’ll do the best we can.”

Not counting the millions of dollars that will come to our area as part of the Infrastructure, Inflation Reduction, and other legislation, funding specific to our area that a competent, respected, effective Congressman like Tom Suozzi secured includes: $40 million for Long Island Sound, $18 million for the Helen Keller National Institute; millions in community- funded projects including Glen Cove Hospital Geriatric Center of Excellence, Little Neck Bay Stormwater Management, North Short Shellfish Seeding, Glen Cove’s Nancy Court Pump Station Rehabilitation, SUNY Maritime wind energy training program, new roof for Sid Jacobson JCC, Main Street flooding in Northport, Asharoken flood abatement, Duck Pond Road water infrastructure project, renovation of SNAP, Queens senior center, Center for the Women of New York workforce development proposal, cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor Labs, NYC Office of Emergency Management, and the list goes on and on.

And what about funding for projects the town insists it can’t afford – like the cat shelter that advocates have been clamoring for for years. And the Stepping Stones Lighthouse, which despite being its steward and having $500,000 in grants, this Town administration seems content to allow to crumble into the Sound.

“He’s not just sitting here, he’s collecting a six-figure salary,” Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey remarked about Santos. “I’ve just met with a school district in panic over losing federal aid.”

“We’ll do the best we can,” DeSena repeated.

And how did she come to endorse George Santos and call him a friend, when red flags about his background had already been raised.  “I was duped, just like you,” she replied.

Peter Fishkind, among others, pushed back on that. Chiding DeSena, who used to be an attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission, he questioned, “Were you aware his last job was at a Ponzi scheme [shut down by the SEC]?”

“I was not aware of that,” DeSena replied.

In fact, The New York Times published a report that documented how well-connected Republicans, including New York’s Elise Stefanik, were alerted to Santos’ fabrications as early as the 2020 campaign and again in early 2021, before the primary. To the extent they were aware of the fraud, they are co-conspirators in the crime of defrauding the United States and the 3rd District constituents.

Kimberly Keiserman, Port Washington, said, “It is my moral obligation as a citizen to speak out and push for concerted action until Santos no longer is our congressional representative. It is difficult to overstate the difficulty of the crisis Santos created for our district. We are represented by a liar, a fraud, a conman, which means we aren’t represented at all.

She said Santos would spend his time in Congress dealing with a series of negative revelations and defending himself against the investigations launched by authorities at the local, state and federal levels.

Keiserman pointed out that Santos supported the extremists at the Jan. 6 insurrection, attended a far right gala in Manhattan with neo-Nazis in December and is a pariah in Congress on both sides of the aisle.

“It is important to acknowledge this crisis didn’t just happen, but by decisions of local party leaders who nominated, endorsed, promoted, and campaigned for this man, despite huge red flags – a Ponzi scheme, shady finances, extremism,”  she said.

Addressing DeSena, Keiserman said, “You are one of the local leaders who endorsed Santos – yours was one of the most public, enthusiastic he received. I ask if you will take two actions to address this crisis: Commit to providing people of the district with a full explanation of your decision to endorse and call on Republican members of New York’s congressional delegation to introduce a resolution to expel him from Congress?”

Her request was greeted with applause.

That is now the focus of constituents, who have switched gears from demanding the impotent House Ethics Committee investigate Santos to demanding Speaker Kevin McCarthy hold a vote to expel Santos from Congress. Go to: www.whoisgeorgesantos.com. To volunteer go to: https://bit.ly/JanVolSantosForm

Here’s another thought: Since the criminal investigations by the U.S. attorney, New York State attorney general, Nassau County and Queens district attorneys and FEC are unlikely to bear fruit before the 2024 election, constituents should file a class action suit for the harm caused by being robbed of federal dollars and our fair representation.

**Note: An earlier version of the story should have attributed the quote to Vasu Krishnamurthy of Manhasset. We regret the error.