George Santos: Former allies speak of their disillusionment with the Congressman

Republican George Santos has been expelled from Congress in a historic vote. 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.