Santos achieves robust fundraising, yet primarily allocates funds to debt repayment.

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) Reports Strong Fundraising Haul, But Faces Debt Repayment

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has reported an impressive fundraising haul during the second quarter of 2023, surpassing his previous quarter’s earnings. However, filings reveal that the New York freshman has used most of his funds to repay debts accumulated during his midterm campaign.

Santos managed to raise a total of $133,000 in the second quarter, a significant improvement from the meager $5,300 he received during his first quarter amidst a series of scandals. Unfortunately, a large portion of Santos’s earnings went towards settling his previous campaign expenses, leaving him with $55,275 cash on hand, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

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With the influx of cash, Santos was able to repay himself $85,000, as indicated in the filings. However, he still has approximately $530,000 in unpaid loans.

While the second-quarter report shows significant improvement, the amount raised is relatively low for a freshman running in a swing district, especially one expected to face a primary challenge. Kellen Curry, a GOP candidate vying for Santos’s seat, managed to raise $200,000 during the same period, according to his campaign.

Santos’s fundraising numbers pale in comparison to his fellow Republican freshman from New York, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who raised over $900,000 last quarter. Lawler currently boasts a comfortable $1.5 million cash on hand, according to FEC filings.

The newly raised funds by Santos were primarily used to address campaign spending that has come under intense scrutiny. Unusual expenses discovered in Santos’s campaign filings for the midterm cycle prompted House Democrats to file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, which is currently under investigation.

One notable instance involved Santos’s campaign paying nearly $11,000 to a company called Cleaner 123, listing the expenditure as “apartment rental for staff” in the campaign filings. However, the address provided belongs to a suburban house in Long Island. Witnesses claim to have seen Santos and his significant other frequently coming and going from the residence, suggesting that Santos may have violated finance rules by using campaign funds for personal expenses.

Furthermore, the campaign listed over 800 expenses costing exactly $199.99, conveniently falling one cent below the threshold that federal law requires candidates to provide receipts. These payments were allegedly used for office supplies, Uber charges, restaurants, and other purposes.

Santos has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

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In addition to these financial controversies, Santos is also facing numerous other challenges as he seeks reelection. He was indicted by the Justice Department in late May on 13 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and lying to Congress. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges, dismissing them as politically motivated.

Subsequently, Santos faced an expulsion vote in Congress for his conduct. However, Republicans narrowly voted against the measure and instead referred the matter to the Ethics Committee.

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