Santos Accused of Multiple Campaign Finance Violations

People familiar with the Rep. George Santos saga will not be surprised to learn that he is being accused of lying extensively about his campaign finances. A complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday by an ethics watchdog group accuses the freshman Republican lawmaker of a long list of violations, including concealing the true source of his campaign's funding and using campaign funds for personal expenses, the Washington Post reports. More:

• "Brazen lies." The complaint filed by the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center notes that Santos has already admitted lying about his background. "Particularly in light of Santos’s mountain of lies about his life and qualifications for office, the Commission should thoroughly investigate what appear to be equally brazen lies about how his campaign raised and spent money," it states, per the Post. Adav Noti, the center's senior vice president, said that "while lying about your background might not be illegal, deceiving voters about your campaign’s funding and spending is a serious violation of federal law."

• Dodgy disbursements. The complaint says that the campaign appears to have falsified how it spent its funds, CNN reports. It notes the campaign listed dozens of disbursements of exactly $199.99—one cent below the threshold where campaigns are required to keep receipts. One $199.99 payment was listed as a stay at a hotel where rooms start at $700 per night.
• Money "illegally funneled" to campaign. The complaint alleges that "unknown individuals or corporations may have illegally funneled money" to the campaign through his Devolder Organization company, the Post reports. It notes that Santos reported loaning his 2022 campaign $700,000, though he only reported $55,000 and no assets in a May 2020 disclosure. The center calls his claims to have earned millions in the last two years "vague, uncorroborated, and non-credible" in light of his other falsehoods.

• Campaign worker allegedly impersonated McCarthy's chief of staff. Sources tell CNBC that during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, a campaign worker raising money for Santos pretended to be Dan Myers, chief of staff for GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy, when he called wealthy donors. The sources say that at private events with donors, Santos would "flaunt or hint at key parts of his resume that have turned out to be false." "We were duped," says one GOP strategist.
• Santos tried to charge to attend swearing-in. Like other newly elected House lawmakers, Santos was expecting to be sworn in on Tuesday, but it didn't happen until early Saturday, when McCarthy was elected House speaker in the 15th round of voting. NBC New York reports that Santos sent supporters an email asking them to donate up to $500 in return for access to the swearing-in and a tour of the Capitol grounds. Experts say the latter part of the offer was illegal.

(More George Santos stories.)