Republican Representative George Santos has received more than $100,000 in campaign finance gifts from donors with Chinese surnames.
The significant deposits came over the course of just three days, between May 20 and May 22, reported the Daily Beast.
Nearly all of those donors, who contributed a total of $101,861, gave the maximum amount of $3,300, and 26 of them had never given to Santos, according to the publication.
For 14 of the donors, it was their first political contribution, according to Federal Election Commission data.
One such donor told the Daily Beast that they had given money to the scandal-stricken congressman for his support of Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui.
Republican Representative George Santos has received more than $100,000 in campaign finance gifts from donors with Chinese surnames
A donor said they gave money to the scandal-hit congressman for his support of Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui (pictured)
Guo, an associate of Steve Bannon, has been charged with fraud worth $1 billion.
Prosecutors allege the financier misled investors with false offers and used the proceeds to buy extravagant goods and assets for himself and his family.
These assets reportedly include a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari, two $36,000 mattresses, and a $37 million luxury yacht.
“He’s working in a direction that I think will benefit the United States and the world,” the unnamed donor told The Daily Beast.
“So when he asked to join, I joined,” the man reportedly said.
“I support him because he is not a talker, he did what he promised. He said he will propose a #FreeMilesGuo account, he actually did it,” the Beast reported.
The Long Island liar publicly offered his support for Guo after his arrest in March.
He has also sponsored 11 bills targeting the Chinese Communist Party, including one introduced specifically to support Guo himself.
Guo, an associate of Steve Bannon, has been charged with fraud worth $1 billion
Santos is now awaiting trial after being arrested in May on 13 charges, including wire fraud and theft of public funds
When contacted about the donations, Santos told the Daily Beast “when you see a cluster of donations [sic] of a similar amount, it is safe to assume that a fundraising campaign has taken place.’
Add: “That is the scope of my comments to you.”
Campaign finance expert Brendan Fischer told The Daily Beast that the clustered names and dates suggest coordinated fundraising.
“It certainly looks like there was some sort of organized fundraiser for Santos,” he said.
Fischer noted that much of that money was used to pay off Santos’ personal loans.
Another campaign finance expert, Brett Kappel, told the publication, “This filing would raise red flags among the attorneys leading the Santos investigation in New York’s Eastern District.”
Santos is currently under a federal investigation into his campaign financing.
Scandal-ridden GOP Rep. has been accused of lying about his resume, career and background during the campaign that brought him to public office.
Santos is now awaiting trial after being arrested in May on 13 charges, including wire fraud and theft of public funds.
Santos has engaged in a slew of problematic — and illegal — behavior since his 2022 campaign for Congress. But the lies were only exposed after he was elected as the new congressman for New York’s 3rd Congressional District.
As the case against him continues in New York, Santos also faces an ethics investigation in Congress.
Prosecutors allege Guo defrauded investors with false offers and used the proceeds to purchase extravagant goods and assets for himself and his family
Scandal-stricken GOP Rep. has been accused of lying about his resume, career and background during the campaign that landed him in public office
Following the indictment filed in New York in May, the House Ethics Committee voted to expand the investigation’s jurisdiction to include charges raised in New York’s case against Santos alleging he fraudulently received unemployment benefits. have obtained.
Allegations against Santos in the indictment allege that he applied for New York unemployment benefits under fraudulent pretenses because he was making $120,000 a year from a Florida investment firm.
The indictment also states that he spent tens of thousands of dollars donated to his congressional campaign on personal expenses such as his car payment and designer goods, and lied to Congress on financial disclosure forms.
He lied about his educational background and work history, and also claimed that his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.