George Santos' lies are casting a harsh spotlight on a powerful Republican who endorsed and raised money for him - CNN

CNN  — 

Cascading revelations astir New York Rep. George Santos’ signifier of lies and deception are putting accrued scrutiny connected almighty New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican and a vocal protagonist of Santos during his 2022 campaign.

Stefanik was a cardinal validator for Santos successful their shared location authorities and often touted the campaigner successful nationalist and backstage forums. Several salient GOP donors told CNN that they gave to Santos, who was mostly chartless to them, due to the fact that Stefanik, the state’s astir influential elected Republican and a prolific fundraiser, backed him.

“I would person ne'er donated without Elise,” said Ken Salamone, who gave $5,800 to Santos’ run and much than $20,000 to his associated fundraising committee, aft Stefanik’s squad reached retired connected his behalf. “I assumed she did her homework. I ever bash my homework and didn’t. Shame connected me.” 

Kristin Bianco, different Republican donor who told CNN she was swayed by Stefanik and different Republicans’ enactment of Santos, said she chopped disconnected Santos aft helium falsely claimed to her that erstwhile President Donald Trump had endorsed him.

“He was aft maine to go a large donor…he was specified a fraud,” Bianco said. “I tried to pass people.” Bianco gave Santos a full of $550 according to run records.

Another donor, who attended a fundraising luncheon with Stefanik and Santos, confirmed to CNN done a typical that “he donated to George Santos due to the fact that of Elise Stefanik’s endorsement.”

“Congresswoman Stefanik supported each GOP nominees successful targeted New York seats conscionable similar each different New York Republican elected official, candidate, NRCC, NYGOP, and the full House Republican enactment team,” a Stefanik run spokesperson told CNN, adding that Stefanik was not “aware of the allegations (against Santos) anterior to the New York Times reporting.”

Multiple Republican operatives successful Washington and New York told CNN that they recovered it implausible that Stefanik had not been alert of Santos’ falsehoods, fixed rumors astir Santos had been passed astir successful GOP circles since astatine slightest the summertime of 2021.

“Stefanik’s squad was laser focused connected electing Santos to Congress – much than conscionable astir immoderate different contention successful the country,” a elder Republican strategist progressive successful campaigns earlier the midterms said.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said past week that helium “always had a fewer questions about” the veracity of Santos’ resume. Still, helium headlined a fundraiser for Santos successful October, astir 5 weeks earlier the election, according to a promotion of the event. Neither McCarthy, Stefanik, nor different salient Republicans who person supported Santos are calling for him to resign.

One root successful Republican authorities acquainted with the dynamics of the concern told CNN that Stefanik “was an advocator passim the process circumstantial to (Santos) adjacent erstwhile others had questions. No 2 ways astir it she was a important protagonist of his.” 

The source, who attributed Stefanik’s enactment of Santos to a deficiency of owed diligence and not a willful concealment of information, besides said that a apical governmental adjutant for Stefanik was progressive successful campaigning for Santos. Multiple sources told CNN that adjutant was intimately advising Santos’ run and progressive successful hiring people.

The Stefanik spokesperson denied her adjutant had immoderate involvement, saying, “At nary constituent did immoderate unit for Congresswoman Stefanik enactment oregon counsel this candidate.”

The uproar implicit Santos, a pariah to each but GOP House leadership, which seated him connected 2 committees and needs him to assistance support their razor bladed bulk successful the chamber, has metastasized successful New York, wherever Republicans unleashed the Congressional “red wave” that eluded them successful truthful galore different states. The Nassau County Republican committee, on with GOP House members from neighboring and adjacent districts, precocious called connected Santos to resign.

“His lies were not specified fibs. He disgraced the House of Representatives,” Nassau County GOP president Joseph G. Cairo said astatine a quality league past week. “He’s not invited present astatine Republican headquarters.”

The backlash spurred by the Santos play threatens New York Republicans’ credibility with voters and donors successful and astir a bid of plaything districts, including Santos’ 3rd, which encompasses parts of Long Island and Queens, that broke for the GOP past twelvemonth and successful section elections successful 2021.

After the election, the household subordinate of different donor frustratedly asked Santos astir the allegations archetypal reported successful the New York Times. In substance messages reviewed by CNN, Santos responded by claiming helium had been slandered.  

When the root pushed Santos to “release immoderate proof to refute the work/school claims,” Santos demurred.

“The enactment heads are 100% chill with maine being tally over,” helium texted the donor. “The attack isn’t mine, I’m allowing the DC folks to grip this their way. They are the experts not me, oregon truthful I’m told.”

On August 11, 2021, Stefanik tweeted retired her endorsement of Santos. One of the posts included a nexus to a WinRed online fundraising leafage asking for donations which would payment some her and Santos.

“MAJOR ENDORSEMENT ALERT Excited to endorse my person and chap America First blimpish George Santos for Congress successful #NY03,” Stefanik wrote.

“@Santos4Congress volition instrumentality connected NYC wide elites and bring a caller procreation of GOP enactment to NY and America. He has my afloat support!”

A small much than 9 months later, connected May 23, 2022, Stefanik reported connected Twitter that she had helped rise much than six figures successful run currency for Santos.

“WOW! Great luncheon lawsuit for @Santos4Congress! We raised implicit $100,000 to assistance George FLIP #NY03 George has my implicit and full endorsement and travel November,” tweeted Stefanik, borrowing the Trumpian phrase. “New Yorkers volition nonstop George to Congress! #SaveNewYork #SaveAmerica”

Santos successful crook highlighted his endorsement from Stefanik arsenic precocious arsenic Wednesday, featuring a representation of the brace unneurotic arsenic the banner representation connected his Twitter account. It has since been changed.

Santos’ quality to alert nether the radar for truthful long, aggregate Republican operatives suggested, was aided by a bid of antithetic circumstances surrounding the midterm elections successful New York.

Having tally erstwhile before, successful 2020, erstwhile helium mislaid successful a landslide to then-Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi nether the district’s aged border, Santos was wide viewed arsenic an unusual upstart who was improbable to beryllium competitory if helium ran again – adjacent with Republicans gaining momentum connected Long Island. When Democrats’ gerrymandered maps were released successful February 2022, the territory was redrawn to see parts of the Bronx and Westchester, efficaciously taking it disconnected the representation for the GOP.

But the state’s precocious tribunal yet struck down the gerrymandered representation and appointed a “special master” to sketch new, much politically balanced borders. The caller map, unveiled successful May 2022, made headlines arsenic Democrats descended into a feisty crippled of philharmonic chairs, arsenic incumbents were drawn into overlapping districts and arsenic candidates who had announced runs based connected the tossed representation considered their options.

Though the last redistricting lines benefited Republicans, their merchandise truthful precocious into the run season, operatives said, condensed and analyzable the campaigner enactment process.

“In 2020 the Democrats had a beardown district, they had a beardown incumbent and radical were not knocking down the doorway to run,” Cairo, the region GOP president said earlier this month. The 2020 cycle, earlier the court’s ruling looked adjacent much bleak. “No elected officials were coming guardant (to run).”

By then, Santos was efficaciously locked successful arsenic the Republican candidate. And arsenic his contention grew progressively competitive, 1 New York-based GOP strategist said, the inducement to further probe his biography – and perchance undermine his run – each but disappeared.

The strategist – who could not accidental for definite what precisely Stefanik knew – told CNN she was apt focused, on with different high-ranking Republicans, connected the contiguous task of winning a House majority.

“It speaks a small spot to benignant of her displacement implicit the past fewer years, wherever it’s truly benignant of go a spot of a zero-sum game,” the strategist said. “Win astatine each costs, winning is the lone happening that matters.”

A root adjacent to Stefanik bridled astatine the disapproval of the GOP league chair, saying, “One of the galore reasons wherefore Congresswoman Stefanik is the highest-ranking Republican successful New York State is her cognition focuses connected winning and doesn’t perceive to these gossipy anonymous consultants.”

The root besides noted that different Republicans had adjacent ties to Santos, arguing that Stefanik was being unfairly scrutinized.

“There are galore salient consultants and unit connected the Santos FEC who presently enactment for elder elected officials and committees, precisely ZERO unit who enactment for Congresswoman Stefanik staffed oregon advised the Santos campaign,” the root told CNN.

Another New York Republican operative told CNN that “all of america (in GOP run circles) screwed up successful that we should person vetted him better,” and that Stefanik “probably got taken successful by information that the spot that had go winnable, helium could win.”

The operative added that portion determination were immoderate suspicions astir Santos, determination was nary denotation past astir the extent of the candidate’s lies, and that astir Republican authorities and section leaders successful the authorities were much focused connected higher illustration races including erstwhile GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin’s contention with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, which helium ended up losing by lone astir six points. 

Other House races, similar that of newly-elected Rep. Mike Lawler, a Rockland Republican who defeated Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the seat of the party’s House run arm, were besides drafting much attraction and resources.

“Stefanik and (House Speaker Kevin) McCarthy should marque this morals process hap faster,” the operative said, and yet ballot to expel Santos.