George Santos’ campaign committee still owes more than $150,000 to over a half-dozen vendors after the former New York congressman was expelled in December.
Newly filed campaign finance reports also show the disgraced Republican used campaign cash for more than $1,300 on meals at the Capitol Hill Club just days after he was kicked out of Congress.
Santos was expelled from Congress last month after facing a barrage of scandals, including allegations that he lied about much of his life while campaigning, made unauthorized charges on campaign donors’ credit cards and fraudulently claimed unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has been indicted on more than 20 charges, and has pleaded not guilty.
His former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty to fraudulent reporting last fall.
Leaving Congress has hardly ended Santos’ campaign finance woes, however, and his campaign committee remains active although he is not seeking election this year.
The committee’s latest report, filed Wednesday morning, underscores the financial mess that Santos’ campaign wrought. The campaign reported that it owes more than $16,000 to WinRed, the online payment processing platform, a debt not listed in his previous filings. In total, the campaign reported owing $155,000 to the platform, a handful of former staffers, legal and fundraising firms and an Italian restaurant in Queens.
The report also continued to list $715,000 that is owed to Santos by the campaign. Prosecutors have alleged that Santos never loaned his campaign that money to begin with.
Expenses reported by Santos’ campaign in the fourth quarter included nearly $2,200 spent at the Capitol Hill Club, a private social club for Republicans located next to the Republican National Committee’s headquarters, over three visits, including the more than $1,300 spent on Dec. 4, after he was expelled. Other expenses were largely for compliance consulting and payments to WinRed.
Santos’ campaign also reported taking in a bit more than $11,000 over the fourth quarter, but indicated that contributions designated for the 2024 general election had since been refunded to the donors. Several of the contributions appeared to be from recurring online donors.
A special election for Santos’ seat, which spans from northern Queens to the North Shore of Long Island, will take place next month, with former Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who held the seat before Santos, facing Republican newcomer Mazi Pilip.
