Beleaguered US Rep. George Santos hired a former Dix Hills resident last week who was a poster child for cancer care because of his leukemia diagnosis at age 3.
Rafaello Carone was hired as a legislative aide to Santos, who is under fire after admitting to lying about several aspects of his biography involving education, heritage, work and more. He is also under investigation by the Federal Election Commission. On Wednesday, the Nassau Republican Party demanded Santos’ resignation.
But Santos posted on Twitter, “I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living. I will NOT resign!”
Carone was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 2 and went through two years of grueling treatment before remission.
He became an ambassador for the Make a Wish Foundation at age 5, and was also named an ambassador for Splashes of Hope in Huntington.
Carone, who was president of Liberty & Justice Consulting, has served in a number of legislative roles, including Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona.
The Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City prominently displays a Youtube video of Carone from 7 years ago, with Carone speaking movingly of his cancer going into remission after he received blood transfusions, and encouraging people to continue to donate.