Rep. George Santos’s Campaign Fundraising Stalls as Investigations Loom
Rep. George Santos. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images By Jimmy Vielkind Updated April 15, 2023 8:18 pm ET Rep. George Santos’s campaign refunded more contributions than it took in during the first three months of the year, disclosure reports show, raising questions about whether he intends to see through a re-election campaign. The New York congressman is facing several investigations and criticism from fellow Republicans about apparent lies he told during his 2022 election. Mr. Santos, who has filed paperwork to run for another term in 2024, received only $5,333 in mostly small, unitemized donations and paid out $8,353 in refunds to contributors, according to a report filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Santos didn’t spend other campaign f
Rep. George Santos.
Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Rep. George Santos’s campaign refunded more contributions than it took in during the first three months of the year, disclosure reports show, raising questions about whether he intends to see through a re-election campaign.
The New York congressman is facing several investigations and criticism from fellow Republicans about apparent lies he told during his 2022 election. Mr. Santos, who has filed paperwork to run for another term in 2024, received only $5,333 in mostly small, unitemized donations and paid out $8,353 in refunds to contributors, according to a report filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission.
Mr. Santos didn’t spend other campaign funds, meaning he paid no staff or other operational expenses, and didn’t pay back any of the $715,000 in personal loans he previously made to his campaign. He reported about $25,000 on hand.
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Subscribe NowCampaign finance has been a source of controversy for Mr. Santos, 34 years old, since he was sworn into office in January. Saturday’s filing specified that all of the loans he made to his campaign last year came from personal funds. In January, Mr. Santos amended disclosure documents regarding the source of the loans so they contained conflicting and incomplete information.
A campaign spokesman didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment on Saturday’s filings. Mr. Santos previously said he wasn’t personally responsible for amending his filings.
Republican officials in Long Island’s Nassau County, which makes up much of the 3rd Congressional District, have said they won’t support Mr. Santos for re-election and have called for his resignation. Kellen Curry, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, has filed paperwork to challenge Mr. Santos in a GOP primary.
Josh Lafazan, a Democratic county legislator who unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination for the seat in 2022, has been raising funds to challenge Mr. Santos. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who represented the district before declining to run for re-election in 2022, has discussed a potential run with local officials, political operatives said. Mr. Suozzi didn’t return a message seeking comment.
The respective campaign filings for Messrs. Curry and Lafazan weren’t available Saturday.
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Mr. Santos recently appeared in lower Manhattan to join demonstrators supporting Donald Trump
The House Committee on Ethics in March formally opened an investigation into Mr. Santos over allegations that he engaged in unlawful activity during his 2022 campaign and failed to disclose required information.
Mr. Santos has said he is cooperating with the probe. He has acknowledged misleading voters on his past, including his education and professional experience. He has said he hasn’t committed any crimes.
Prosecutors in Nassau County said they opened an investigation in December on Mr. Santos’s statements during his campaign. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York launched an investigation of Mr. Santos last year, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
—Anthony DeBarros contributed to this article.
Write to Jimmy Vielkind at [email protected]
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