Are we laughing at George Santos, or is he laughing at us? | Arwa Mahdawi

The disgraced ex-congressman seems to be trying to remake himself as a campy gay icon. Too many people are falling for it

George Anthony Devolder Santos was born in 1988 with a serious congenital condition which means he is incapable of feeling shame or embarrassment. I'm not sure what the name of the affliction is or whether it's recognized by the medical establishment - but many of his former colleagues in government seem to suffer from the same thing.

Still, the disgraced New York Republican, who was expelled from Congress three weeks ago and pleaded not guilty in October to a total of 23 federal felony charges ranging from wire fraud to money laundering, clearly has an extreme case. Santos, who was elected to represent parts of Long Island and Queens last year, has been dogged by controversy throughout his short political career. It turns out he lied about pretty much everything in his life - including his mother surviving 9/11.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian US columnist