{"id":543848,"date":"2023-01-26T04:25:04","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T01:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/questions-persist-on-source-of-george-santos-campaign-funds\/"},"modified":"2023-01-26T04:25:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T01:25:04","slug":"questions-persist-on-source-of-george-santos-campaign-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/questions-persist-on-source-of-george-santos-campaign-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"#Questions persist on source of George Santos campaign funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3ec5e60b6b7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3ec5e60b6b7\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/questions-persist-on-source-of-george-santos-campaign-funds\/#Questions_persist_on_source_of_George_Santos_campaign_funds\" >Questions persist on source of George Santos campaign funds<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Questions_persist_on_source_of_George_Santos_campaign_funds\"><\/span>Questions persist on source of George Santos campaign funds<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Of all the questions swirling around U.S. Rep. George Santos, one of the most serious has been how he amassed the personal fortune he claimed to have used to finance his campaign. The Republican fabulist filed new campaign finance reports this week that only elevated the confusion over whether that money was all his, or came from some other source.<\/p>\n<p>Santos\u2019 campaign provided the Federal Election Commission amended versions Tuesday of reports covering the last two years, including forms that gave contradictory accounts of whether money he lent his campaign \u2014 including a half-million-dollar loan last spring\u2014 came out of his own pocket.<\/p>\n<p>The new reports raise fresh questions about Santos, who has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/2022-midterm-elections-business-bb455cc02b70e5366b9c5e347da8ad38\" data-ylk=\"slk:admitted fabricating key parts of his life story\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">admitted fabricating key parts of his life story<\/a> and worked in recent years as a salesman for a company accused of running a Ponzi scheme.<\/p>\n<p>Questioned by reporters Wednesday on Capitol Hill, the first-year congressman from New York again refused to answer questions and denied personal involvement in amending the campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s make it very clear. I don\u2019t amend anything. I don\u2019t touch any of my FEC stuff, so don\u2019t be disingenuous and report that I did,\u201d Santos said. \u201cEvery campaign hires fiduciaries, so I\u2019m not aware of that answer, but we will have an answer for the press regarding the amendments from yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since announcing his candidacy in 2021, Santos has reported loaning his campaign organization $705,000, accounting for nearly 25% of its receipts over the last two years. That included a $125,000 loan two weeks before the Nov. 8 election<\/p>\n<p>At the time he reported those loans, Santos was portraying himself as a self-made millionaire with a history of big deals on Wall Street, a sizeable family real estate portfolio and plenty of money to back his own candidacy.<\/p>\n<p>Candidates are allowed to lend money to their campaigns. They can also take out a personal bank loan, then lend the money to their campaigns, though if that\u2019s the case, they must disclose the source of the funds, what the terms are, the period of repayment and interest rate.<\/p>\n<p>Santos&#8217; campaign filings, however, have been inconsistent in reporting whether his reported loans, including $80,000 in June 2021 and $500,000 in March 2022, were made with his own money. There were inconsistencies even on the amended forms submitted Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Some forms detailing the loans had an \u201cX\u201d in a box indicating they were made with \u201cPersonal Funds of the Candidate,\u201d but others did not. Even for the same loans, the answer varied from report to report.<\/p>\n<p>When the $500,000 loan was first reported, for instance, the \u201cPersonal Funds&#8221; box was not checked on a form included with an April 2022 quarterly report, suggesting the money had originated from a source other than Santos. On subsequent reports, however, the box was checked.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday&#8217;s amended versions had it both ways. In one amendment, the \u201cpersonal funds\u201d box was unchecked, suggesting again that the money originated with someone else. In another, it was checked.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of any explanation from Santos has made it tough to tell whether the changes were an attempt to correct an error or mere sloppiness of the part of his campaign treasurer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGeorge Santos keeps amending his life story, so it\u2019s not that big a surprise that he amends his FEC filings,\u201d said Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for the non-profit watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. \u201cQuite frankly, it\u2019s hard to trust anything he says as being accurate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday&#8217;s submissions are the latest in a string of amendments that Santos&#8217; campaign has made to its campaign finance disclosures. Many reports posted to the FEC&#8217;s website have been amended multiple times. One report is on its seventh revision.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the FEC has repeatedly flagged problems with the campaign\u2019s reports, sending more than two dozen letters requesting additional information about contributions, donors and Santos\u2019 loans.<\/p>\n<p>The original version of Santos\u2019 most recent filing, the post-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> election report submitted on Dec. 8, included a mention of his $125,000 October loan but did not include a required separate form about the transaction. The FEC flagged the missing information and the amended report included the form.<\/p>\n<p>The underlying question remains how Santos earned the money.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his false claims of having worked for big, international banks, he was having financial problems up until a few years ago that led to multiple eviction proceedings from New York City apartments.<\/p>\n<p>When Santos first ran for Congress in 2020, his financial disclosure form listed a modest $55,000 salary from a financial company and no significant assets. After he lost that race, he took a job selling investments in a company that the Securities and Exchange Commission later accused of being a Ponzi scheme.<\/p>\n<p>Last summer, Santos filed a financial disclosure report suggesting an explosion in his personal wealth. He reported he was making $750,000 per year from his own company, the Devolder Organization, had $1 million to $5 million in savings and owned an apartment in Brazil worth up to $1 million.<\/p>\n<p>He has yet to fully answer questions about how he got so rich so quickly. In an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/12\/28\/2022\/george-santos-tries-to-explain-his-wealth\" data-ylk=\"slk:interview with Semafor\" class=\"link rapid-noclick-resp\">interview with Semafor<\/a>, Santos said he worked as a consultant for \u201chigh net worth individuals,&#8221; helping broker the sale of luxury items like yachts and planes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe amended filings really don\u2019t provide any clarity on where Santos got this money,\u201d said Saurav Ghosh, the director of federal reform for Campaign Legal Center, a non-profit watchdog that has filed a complaint about Santos with the FEC. \u201cHow did somebody who had virtually no assets or income come into millions of dollars overnight, and then funnel $700,000 of that money in his campaign?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone looking at that would be suspicious. It raises lots of red flags when somebody is a declared candidate and is also suddenly coming into a bunch of money, a large portion of which he\u2019s been using to run for office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Santos has rejected calls for his resignation, even from fellow Republican members of Congress, and says he wants to get to work serving his constituents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/news\/questions-persist-source-george-santos-012504302.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Questions persist on source of George Santos campaign funds NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Of all the questions swirling around U.S. Rep. George Santos, one of the most serious has been how he amassed the personal fortune he claimed to have used to finance his campaign. The Republican fabulist filed new campaign finance reports this week&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":543849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/D2dWk_YefU6yXuFpwap_5w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD04MDA-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/ap.org\/1f0eb8cba3f3a586df72a94f4fe93782","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-543848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=543848"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543848\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/543849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}