Rep.-elect George Santos (R-New York) has acknowledged lying about his education and work history while campaigning for Congress in this year's midterm elections, falsely saying he had a college degree and misrepresenting his prior employment.

His statements in a Monday interview with the New York Post followed an article by The New York Times that revealed inconsistencies in Santos's biography, including his claims that he had worked for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and graduated from New York's Baruch College.

Santos told the Post that he had "never worked directly" with either company and promised to be "more transparent" in the future. Despite previous assertions, he stated that he did not graduate from Baruch or "any school of higher education."

"My crimes here serve to enhance my resume. I'm sorry, "The new Republican legislator told the site.

Santos asserted to the Post that the incident would not prevent him from achieving "excellent legislative results" in the 118th Congress, which he will join in January.

Breaking his silence on the allegations, Santos also gave an interview to local radio station WABC-AM in which he asserted that "many individuals exaggerate a bit on their resumes."

He stated, "I'm not saying I'm not guilty of it; I'm just saying I've done so much excellent stuff in my career."

Santos told the site, "I am not a criminal that cheated the entire nation."

In November, Santos won a House seat for the Republican Party to represent portions of Long Island and Queens.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), the next Democratic leader of the House, stated last week that Santos "appears to be a total and absolute fake - his entire life story is fabricated."

Last week, Santos' attorney described the Times article about him as a "shotgun barrage of insults" and argued that coverage of him was intended to "smear his good name."

In an interview with the Post, Santos expressed regret and embarrassment for inflating his resume. "I acknowledge that... We make foolish decisions in life."