Posted on by Randy Slovacek

George Santos Campaign Spending Raising Eyebrows

Rep.-elect George Santos
Rep.-elect George Santos (screen capture)

Republican Rep.-Elect George Santos, in the headlines of late after it was revealed he fabricated his professional resume in order to win his race for Congress, is getting even more attention as folks are taking a dive into his campaign spending.

Ruh-roh…

The New York Times found several items in campaign reports that raised eyebrows. Here’s just a few:

• Nearly $11,000 paid to Cleaner 123 for “apartment rental for staff” over 4 months, but neighbors say Santos lived there himself for months. That would be a violation of the rule prohibiting using campaign funds for personal expenses.

• Santos reportedly spent over $40,000 on air travel, $30,000 on hotels, and $14,000 on car services – extremely high for a newly-elected congressman.

By comparison, Nick LaLota, GOP representative-elect from the First Congressional District, in Long Island’s Suffolk County, spent roughly $900 on hotel stays, $3,000 on airfare and $900 on taxi services, according to his campaign filings. Sean Patrick Maloney, five-term congressman in the Hudson Valley, spent just $8,000 on air travel.

• The FEC requires receipts to be saved for all expenses over $200, which makes it interesting that Santos listed over 800 expenses under $200, many just under $199.99, for office supplies, restaurants, and Ubers.

Read the full report at the NYT. There’s much more.

While lying about your work employment or college education isn’t a crime, filing false federal financial disclosures is a federal criminal felony, with each violation facing up to five (5) years in federal prison.