George Santos accused of sweeping campaign finance violations - The Washington Post

The complaint, filed by the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, could propel a ceremonial probe into Santos by the national regulator, the latest section successful a saga investigating the boundaries of governmental falsehood. Santos has been revealed to person lied astir his heritage, acquisition and nonrecreational qualifications during his run for Congress past year.

“Particularly successful airy of Santos’s upland of lies astir his beingness and qualifications for office, the Commission should thoroughly analyse what look to beryllium arsenic brazen lies astir however his run raised and spent money,” the ailment argues.

The ailment names Santos and his superior run committee, on with his company, the Devolder Organization, and his treasurer, Nancy Marks. Santos, whose election to Congress connected Long Island past twelvemonth helped the GOP unafraid its constrictive majority, did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. Marks has not responded to telephone calls successful caller days.

The congressman’s deceptions person already sparked an investigation by the territory attorney’s bureau successful Nassau County, N.Y. Authorities successful Brazil are besides seeking to revive a fraud case against him dating from 2008.

As probes into Santos multiply, questions astir however his run raised and spent wealth are coming into crisp focus.

He reported loaning his run much than $700,000 successful the 2021-22 rhythm contempt having lone $55,000 successful earned income during his erstwhile tally for Congress successful 2020, according to a fiscal disclosure. Campaign Legal Center called his claims of earning millions implicit the erstwhile 2 years from the Devolder Organization “vague, uncorroborated, and non-credible successful airy of his galore erstwhile lies.”

Instead, the ailment alleges, “unknown individuals oregon corporations whitethorn person illegally funneled money” to Santos’s run done his steadfast — portion of what Campaign Legal Center describes arsenic a strategy for the campaigner to enactment arsenic a straw donor to his ain legislature bid. While candidates are permitted to lend oregon indebtedness their campaigns unlimited sums, the ailment argues that the wealth Santos gave to his run was not his ain but alternatively fixed to him “in the guise of wage and dividends” for the intent of making undisclosed oregon prohibited contributions that exceeded lawful limits.

The ailment besides accuses Santos of misrepresenting his campaign’s spending. It notes that his run reported “an astounding 40 disbursements betwixt $199 and $200, including 37 disbursements of exactly $199.99,” thereby eluding requirements to support a receipt, invoice oregon canceled cheque for each spending supra $200.

In immoderate instances, the reported spending did not basal up to scrutiny, according to the complaint. It highlighted a reported $199.99 outgo for an Oct. 13, 2021, “hotel stay” astatine the W South Beach, a Miami edifice whose slightest costly country for a midweek enactment successful October is priced astatine much than $700. On a azygous time successful November 2021, the run doubly spent precisely $199.99 connected nutrient and beverage astatine an Italian edifice successful Queens, according to its nationalist disclosures.

“This astir surely is not an close accounting of the campaign’s expenses and suggests alternatively that the payments were either falsely reported oregon structured to debar crossing the $200 mark,” the ailment argues.

Finally, the ailment alleges that Santos illegally utilized run funds to screen idiosyncratic expenses, including paying rent connected his idiosyncratic residence successful Huntington, N.Y. Payments associated with the spot were identified arsenic “apartment rental for staff” oregon “rent & rent deposit,” portion Santos himself lived astatine the suburban home, according to the complaint.

Campaign Legal Center is asking the FEC to find crushed to judge that Santos and others named successful the ailment violated national run concern instrumentality and to behaviour an investigation. Enforcement by the national regulator occurs done specified complaints oregon done audits oregon referrals by different authorities agencies. Any probe would necessitate 4 votes from the six-member body, which is divided evenly by party.

Already, the regulator’s analysts person recovered discrepancies successful the Santos campaign’s regular filings, requesting accusation from his committee connected much than 20 abstracted occasions implicit the past 2 years. While specified requests are routine, and whitethorn punctual amendments oregon further disclosure, the measurement successful this lawsuit is notable. The run has modified respective filings but, according to Campaign Legal Center, has near assorted issues unresolved, including seemingly excessive contributions flagged by FEC analysts.

The regulator’s astir caller missive to the Santos campaign, issued past week, said the committee failed to decently place each donors who contributed much than $200 and seems to person accepted contributions that breach limits acceptable distant nether national law. The FEC asked for a effect by Feb. 8.