Embattled Rep. George Santos Reportedly Called a Liar on House Floor During Rough First Day in Congress

Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty George Santos

Incoming Rep. George Santos faced a rocky first day in Congress on Tuesday, with reports surfacing that he dodged reporters outside his office and was called a liar by at least one of his colleagues on the House floor.

Various outlets report that the embattled newcomer approached his Capitol Hill office early Tuesday and turned in the opposite direction when he spotted reporters waiting for him. Though they tried to pursue him, Santos ultimately left the area without answering any questions.

Later, while inside the House chamber, Santos "could be seen sitting alone toward the back of the chamber busying himself on his phone," Fox News reports.

RELATED: Incoming Rep. George Santos Apologizes for 'Embellishing My Resume': 'I Said I Was Jew-ish'

But Santos had to make at least one public appearance — to stand on the House floor and vote for a House speaker.

Washington Post journalist Marianna Sotomayor reports that, when Santos stood to vote for Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday, "a Hispanic Democrat yelled 'mentiroso!' which translates to 'liar' in English."

Sipa via AP Images George Santos

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Santos, a New York Republican, is currently mired in several investigations after admitting to fabricating details of his past.

The fabrications came to light after a bombshell New York Times report alleged that a large portion of Santos' biography could not be substantiated, alleging that he misled voters about his level of education, previous jobs and family ties to the Holocaust, earning bipartisan condemnation in recent days for misrepresenting himself.

Days later, Santos told the New York Post that he had "embellished" some portions of his resume, such as working at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, as he had previously asserted. Santos also revealed that he had also lied about his education, noting that he did not attend Baruch College or New York University, as he had earlier claimed.

"I didn't graduate from any institution of higher learning," he told the Post. "I'm embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume. I own up to that ... we do stupid things in life."

RELATED: U.S. Rep.-Elect George Santos Under Federal Investigation for Financial Disclosures: Report

Santos — who spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual meeting in November — also denied that he had previously claimed he was Jewish.

"I never claimed to be Jewish," Santos told the New York Post. "I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was 'Jew-ish.'"

Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg via Getty George Santos

The New York Times flagged other parts of his past, too.

In a followup report on Dec. 23, the outlet uncovered that Santos was a call center employee for Dish Network in 2012, and that his family frequently struggled to pay rent in Queens over the years, borrowed thousands of dollars from an acquaintance who claimed they were never repaid, and had a criminal history in Brazil that had never been resolved.

According to the Times, Brazilian court records show that Santos had been charged with fraud at one point after writing hot checks. The publication also reported that he confessed to the crime and was charged but authorities were later "unable to locate him" for punishment.

"I am not a criminal here — not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world," Santos told The Post. "Absolutely not. That didn't happen."

This week, Brazilian authorities told the Times they were reviving their case against Santos, now that they had verified his whereabouts.

Late last month, the Nassau County District Attorney's Office announced it was looking into Santos and reports surfaced that federal investigators had also opened an inquiry into Santos' financial disclosures.