Disgraced ex-GOP Congressman George Santos was paid $343 by Democrat Senator John Fetterman to record a sarcastic video about another lawmaker facing an FBI investigation.
Santos, who was fired from the House of Representatives last week, has now joined Cameo, where fans can pay their famous – or infamous – stars to record personalized videos.
One of his first clients was former Capitol Hill colleague Senator John Fetterman. The Democratic senator from Pennsylvania enlisted Santos' services to troll the New Jersey Dem. Senator Bob Menendez, who – like Santos – has gotten into quite a bit of trouble with the law over claims that he was bribed by Egypt.
On Monday, Fetterman wrote on
“So I reached out to a seasoned expert in the field to give 'Bobby from Jersey' some advice.”
In the video, Santos speaks some encouraging words to 'Bobby'.
“Hey, Bobby! I don't think I need to tell you, but these people who want to get you in trouble and kick you out and make you run away, you make them shut up or shut up!' a lively Santos said to the front camera of his phone.
“You stick to your guns, sir,” he says. “And don't get carried away with all those haters out there.”
Santos, on the other hand, was delighted with the turn of events. 'I love this! I wish I knew the Bobby in question!' he wrote on X
One of George Santos' first Cameo clients was Senator John Fetterman's office, where he was asked to record a message for Senator Bob Menendez.
Just days after Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives by a vote of 311 to 114, he joined the celebrity short-form video messaging platform.
He currently charges $200 per video and is described in his bio as “Former Congressional Icon!” and the 'Ousted Congressman from New York.'
An aide to Fetterman told Business Insider that the senator's campaign office paid $343.20 for the Santos special, including the cost of having the video delivered within 24 hours.
The employee added that the former congressman delivered the video in just 16 minutes.
“We didn't expect to get it back so quickly,” he said.
Senator Menendez of New Jersey has been accused by federal prosecutors — not for the first time — of taking bribes, including more than $480,000 in cash, in exchange for helping the Egyptian government.
Menendez has denied the allegations, which have also been made against his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez. The pair were charged jointly in September.
Federal agents found bags of cash and gold bars in the couple's home.
Freshman Senator Fetterman has been an outspoken critic of Menendez since the indictment and quickly became the first Democratic member of the Senate to call for his resignation.
Menendez told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that he does not think “Mr. Clickbait's donors will appreciate him using campaign funds to enrich George Santos,” referring to Fetterman.
Santos, on the other hand, was delighted with the turn of events. 'I love this! I wish I knew the Bobby in question!' he wrote on X after hearing about the Fetterman camp's stunt.
Fetterman said CNN on Monday evening: 'I'm not anti-Santos… Of course he lied in a very bizarre way and all that.
“But if you expel someone like George Santos, how can you allow someone like Senator Menendez to remain in the Senate?”
Menendez told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that he does not think “Mr. Clickbait's backers will appreciate his use of campaign funds to enrich George Santos' position
Santos was expelled from the House last week after the House Ethics Committee returned with a damning report on his conduct regarding his campaign funds and beyond.
Aside from the commission's charges, Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including multiple charges of financial fraud.
During his brief time in Congress, the gay lawmaker was accused of fabricating key elements of his life story.
However, he denied all charges against him until the end and said goodbye to the Capitol last week, declaring “to hell with this place” after his expulsion vote.
There aren't many politicians on Cameo, but Santos is no longer subject to campaign finance laws.