{"id":543998,"date":"2023-01-26T19:11:25","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T16:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/santos-loans-deepen-questions-around-campaign-finances\/"},"modified":"2023-01-26T19:11:25","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T16:11:25","slug":"santos-loans-deepen-questions-around-campaign-finances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/santos-loans-deepen-questions-around-campaign-finances\/","title":{"rendered":"#Santos loans deepen questions around campaign finances"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 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-6a28ab33b3d34\" 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-6a28ab33b3d34\" 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\/santos-loans-deepen-questions-around-campaign-finances\/#Santos_loans_deepen_questions_around_campaign_finances\" >Santos loans deepen questions around campaign finances<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Santos_loans_deepen_questions_around_campaign_finances\"><\/span>Santos loans deepen questions around campaign finances<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/santosgeorge_010423gn2_w.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A set of updated campaign finance reports are deepening the mystery surrounding the source of high-dollar loans that Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) made to his campaign last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Santos\u2019s campaign previously reported that a pair of six-figure loans from the candidate \u2014 one for $500,000 that was made last March and another for $125,000 in October \u2014 came from his personal funds.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>But in an amended filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday, Santos\u2019s campaign unchecked a box indicating that the $500,000 loan came from personal funds. Similarly, a separate updated report left the same box unchecked for the $125,000 loan. The changes were\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/george-santos-admits-500k-personal-loan-to-campaign-wasnt-personal\">first reported by The Daily Beast<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Further complicating the matter is the fact that filings from later in 2022 still mark the $500,000 loan as coming from personal funds, leaving the source of the money unclear. Campaign finance experts are struggling to unpack the latest disclosures from Santos\u2019s campaign, which they say are riddled with potential errors and discrepancies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody can make sense of them,\u201d said Robert Maguire, the research director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a nonprofit watchdog group. \u201cIt seems impossible at this point that there is some sort of oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just an astounding number of financial questions,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing that for more than a decade and I\u2019ve never seen anything like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brett K<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>el, an elections lawyer specializing in campaign finance, said that it\u2019s unclear whether the apparent discrepancies on Santos\u2019s updated filings were the result of a simple clerical error or an intentional change.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, Kappel said, \u201cthe amendments make no sense and are inconsistent,\u201d adding the changes would almost certainly attract scrutiny from the FEC.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIt might be a mistake that was made when amending other parts of the same report or it could be deliberate if his treasurer refused to mark it as personal unless he provided documentation,\u201d he said. \u201cEither way it is going to generate another FEC letter asking him to describe the true source of the loan and its particulars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Federal election law allows candidates to loan personal funds for campaign purposes or take out bank loans to help fund their political operations. But experts said that any bank loan the size of those made by Santos would require collateral, and Santos\u2019s filings with the FEC note that the loans were not backed by collateral.<\/p>\n<p>Santos\u2019s attorney Joe Murray did not respond to The Hill\u2019s request for comment on the amended campaign finance reports. Santos himself declined to elaborate on the changes on Wednesday, telling reporters outside the U.S. Capitol that he doesn\u2019t manage his campaign\u2019s financial disclosures.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t amend anything,\u201d Santos told reporters on Wednesday. \u201cI don\u2019t touch any of my FEC stuff. So don\u2019t be disingenuous and report that I did, because you know that every campaign hires fiduciaries. So I\u2019m not aware of that answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, it\u2019s not unusual for campaigns to file updated reports with the FEC in order to correct errors or provide additional required information. But Erin Khlopak, the senior director for campaign finance at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center (CLC), said that Santos\u2019s filings aren\u2019t typical.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe FEC has already issued a large number of requests for additional information where they flagged their own concerns,\u201d Khlopak said. \u201cI think that this particular committee has raised an unusual number of questions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>CLC filed a complaint with the FEC earlier this month accusing Santos\u2019s campaign of illegally using funds for personal expenses and concealing the source of Santos\u2019s loans to the campaign, among other concerns. Khlopak said that CLC was still in the process of sorting through Santos\u2019s latest filings.<\/p>\n<p>Khlopak warned against jumping to conclusions about the latest discrepancies regarding Santos\u2019s campaign loans. But, she added, \u201cit\u2019s certainly significant whether it was a clerical mistake or intentional, and it\u2019s something that should be examined.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf it\u2019s personal, then there\u2019s the question of did he actually have the money to loan? And if not, where did the money come from?\u201d she said. \u201cThere are a lot of questions about where it came from, the term of the loan, etc. There are requirements about providing details about what they are.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The updated disclosures mark the latest turn in the winding saga of Santos, who has faced growing scrutiny over everything from his financial dealings to lying about his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and personal life.<\/p>\n<p>In previous filings with the FEC, Santos\u2019s campaign reported that he had personally loaned his campaign more than $700,000, but questions remain over where that money came from. Santos has said that the money came from his work at his company, the DeVolder Organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Santos is also facing scrutiny over whether an outside entity had solicited large donations for his campaign without being registered with the FEC.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>There are also questions about a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of expenses for $199.99 made by Santos\u2019s campaign. That specific amount puts the expenses just one cent under the $200 threshold that would require the campaign to keep receipts or invoices.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Santos\u2019s campaign and a handful of affiliated groups filed updates with the FEC naming Thomas Datwyler, a longtime GOP operative, as their new treasurer, replacing previous treasurer Nancy Marks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The transition hit a roadblock, however, when Datwyler\u2019s attorney Derek Ross said that his client had informed Santos\u2019s campaign earlier this week that he would not be serving as treasurer. Federal law requires every political committee to have a treasurer in order to spend or take in money.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cOn Monday we informed the Santos campaign that Mr. Datwyler would not be serving as treasurer,\u201d Ross said. \u201cIt appears there\u2019s a disconnect between that conversation and the filings today, which we did not authorize.\u201d<\/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><\/p>\n<\/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:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/3831566-santos-loans-deepen-questions-around-campaign-finances\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Santos loans deepen questions around campaign finances A set of updated campaign finance reports are deepening the mystery surrounding the source of high-dollar loans that Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) made to his campaign last year.\u00a0 Santos\u2019s campaign previously reported that a pair of six-figure loans from the candidate \u2014 one for $500,000 that was made&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":543999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/santosgeorge_010423gn2_w.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134343,71128,73798,70610,137726,80445,90482,71525,115],"class_list":["post-543998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-campaign","tag-campaign-finance","tag-defense","tag-finance","tag-george-santos","tag-healthcare","tag-house","tag-national-security","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543998","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=543998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/543999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}