Rep. George Santos’ campaign reportedly spent $85,000 to pay him back for a sketchy loan he supposedly made to his successful 2022 bid for Congress while forking out next to nothing on his 2024 reelection bid, Politico reported Friday.
Santos’ campaign spent virtually nothing on actual campaign expenses in the three-month period that ended on June 30, casting serious doubt on the Republican’s claim to be running hard for a second term, the news site said.
The original loan, which Santos first said was worth $710,000 and now says was about $500,000, raised eyebrows because he has no apparent source of significant income that would produce that kind of cash.
Santos reported raising $133,000 for his reelection campaign in the quarter, mostly driven by maximum-allowable donations of $3,300 apiece from supporters, Politico said.
One Republican primary opponent, Kellen Curry, reported raising more than $200,000 for his campaign and a political action committee.
A half-dozen Democrats are also vying for the party’s nomination in the blue-leaning NY-03 district that spans the North Shore and a slice of eastern Queens.
Santos was indicted in May on federal charges including wire fraud stemming from campaign finance discrepancies.
He is also accused of scoring COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefits, even though he had a job, and making false statements on personal financial disclosures for his congressional campaign.
Santos, who admitted lying about most of his life story after winning his seat in a surprising upset, says the charges are part of a politically motivated witch hunt by Democrats and establishment Republicans.
Several fellow Republicans have called on Santos to resign. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who needs every vote he can get in the evenly divided Congress, has refused to call for his ouster.
