George Santos, a Republican from New York, teamed up with Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, to solicit contributions during his successful campaign for Congress last year.
According to a report filed by Santos campaign treasurer Nancy Marks, who also managed finances for the Santos-Van Duyne collaboration, they raised a modest $11,600 collectively.
According to an aide, Van Duyne never declared any profits from the joint venture because no money reached her.
This raises the issue of whether Santos defrauded his Texas colleague. Where did the money go?
Chris Homan, a spokesman for the Van Duyne campaign, told The Dallas Morning News that the JFC was established for a single voyage to New York.
“The JFC has not been used since that trip, and it will not be used in the future,” Homan stated. “With regard to donations, the Beth Van Duyne campaign did not receive a distribution of funds following the New York trip.”
“Any further questions should be directed to Santos’s organization,” he stated.
Director of congressional communications for Santos, Naysa Woomer, stated she was unable to answer queries regarding campaign matters. Marks and Joe Murray, the attorney for Santos, did not respond to requests for comment.
The victory of Santos reversed a House seat and helped Republicans secure a narrow majority, but he was soon engulfed in scandal. His employment history, education, and other biographical details were revealed to be fraudulent.
These misrepresentations of his credentials and heritage caused enormous political repercussions for him and his Republican colleagues. A House ethics investigation is currently ongoing, and legislators from both parties hope that it will result in his expulsion.
Although these are political issues, improperly managing or reporting campaign finances may also have legal repercussions.
According to the Washington Post, the Justice Department urged the Federal Elections Commission to delay any enforcement action against Santos at the end of January, signifying a financial investigation by law enforcement.
According to Politico, Santos reported donations from his own campaign account to fellow Republicans for which the purported recipients have no record.
The collaborative endeavor with Van Duyne falls within the same category.
On July 28, 2022, the “Devolder Santos Van Duyne Victory Committee” (his full name is George Anthony Devolder Santos) was formed.
Later, on August 15, the joint committee reported two contributions of $5,800 each from New York residents Josh Eisen and Virginia Knott.
At the time, the federal limit per donor per election cycle was $2,900. Primary and general elections are tallied independently. Eisen and Knott each contributed the utmost permitted for 2022 — or possibly more — to Santos’ campaign.