Rep. George Santos (R-NY) walks to a shut-door GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol January 10, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Illustrations or photos
Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos has denied allegations that he took off with 1000’s of pounds he helped elevate for a disabled veteran seeking a lifesaving medical procedures for his support pet.
Santos, who previously faces bipartisan phone calls for his resignation, denied the reporting as “Phony” in a text to Semafor on Tuesday night.
“No clue who this is,” Santos extra in a textual content to the outlet.
The lawmaker appeared to be referring to Richard Osthoff, described by Patch.com as a U.S. Navy veteran who had been set in contact with Santos in 2016 although trying to get therapy for Sapphire, his pitbull blend who experienced made a belly tumor.
Osthoff and another veteran explained to Patch.com that Santos, going by Anthony Devolder — a title Santos is recognised to have employed in the past — set up a GoFundMe by way of his purported pet charity, Buddies of Pets United. The New York Situations reported last thirty day period that neither the Inside Profits Provider nor the attorney general’s places of work of New York and New Jersey could locate any document of a registered charity by that name.
Following the GoFundMe exceeded its $3,000 purpose in June 2016, Osthoff reported Santos directed him and his canine to a veterinarian in Queens, who claimed they couldn’t work on the tumor.
Santos then turned elusive, the veteran explained. Osthoff claimed Santos in a remaining mobile phone phone claimed he experienced moved the money from Sapphire’s GoFundMe into his charity to use “for other canine,” since Osthoff “failed to do points my way,” Patch.com noted.
Santos rebuffed Osthoff’s request to enable him use the funds to choose his pet dog to yet another vet, in accordance to screenshots of textual content messages claimed by Patch.
Sapphire died in January 2017, and Osthoff reported he experienced to panhandle to pay out for the dog’s conclusion-of-lifestyle services, in accordance to the report.
Spokespeople for Santos did not immediately answer to CNBC’s request for further remark.
The report from Patch marks the most up-to-date in a monthslong string of scandalous accusations from the freshman lawmaker, who following successful his congressional race admitted to lying about or embellishing key aspects of his background. He is going through regional and federal investigations and has been the subject matter of various ethics problems.
Santos was sworn in this thirty day period and has refused calls to give up his seat. He has apologized for “embellishing” his resume but mentioned he committed no crimes.
Republicans in New York’s Nassau County, wherever Santos’ congressional district is found, have excoriated him and urged him to resign. But Household Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has declined to be part of all those phone calls, echoing Santos’ personal argument that voters of his district should really be the ones to decide regardless of whether he stays in Congress.
On Tuesday, Santos was seated on two Household committees.
