ORLANDO, Fla. – In the years that have followed the Pulse shooting, loved ones of victims say people have made false claims regarding their relationship to victims.
Following an extensive investigation of New York congressman-elect George Santons conducted by The New York Times, his entire resume has come into question.
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Included in his claims is that several members of his staff were killed in the Pulse shooting — a claim The New York Times and people close to the Pulse massacre can’t verify.
Online records show that on Tuesday, Santos reinstated his company in Florida, citing an apartment in Merritt Island as his home address.
Christine Leinonen said following the death of her son Christopher, she’s created a unique bond with other victims and loved ones. Leinonen said no one employer had more than two staff members killed in the attack.
“I’ve gotten to know all of these victims and I was particularly noteworthy of their employers,” Leinonen said. “If he says, ‘Oh I employed four people who were lost at Pulse and then being gay it could be that independent voters or democrats could lean toward voting for him when they might not have ordinarily done that.”
Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan said others have unfortunately made false claims related to the Pulse massacre.
“For someone to take advantage of that... it’s really disgusting. There have been a lot of people that unfortunately have tried to use pulse for their benefit. The loss of those folks lives for their benefit,” Sheehan said.
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