Navigating a swirling torrent of scandals and calls for his resignation, embattled Republican Rep. George Santos pushed back Thursday on a single of the most damning allegations against him: that he took 1000’s of pounds intended to fund a surgical procedures for a veteran’s ailing doggy.
“The reviews that I would let a pet dog die is surprising & insane,” the freshman lawmaker from New York tweeted Thursday early morning. “My do the job in animal advocacy was the labor of really like & challenging get the job done.”
Santos, who faces backlash from some Republicans right after admitting he lied about important particulars of his previous, also claimed in the tweet that he has just lately “acquired photos of dogs I served minimize in the course of the several years along with supportive messages.”
The word “lessen” was corrected to “rescue” in a subsequent tweet Thursday afternoon. Santos’ office did not immediately supply any of these photos when questioned by CNBC.
“These distractions is not going to quit me!” Santos’ tweet added.
The congressman’s tweet criticizes, but does not instantly deny, allegations that Santos in 2016 had disappeared with hundreds of dollars lifted in a GoFundMe to cover the costs of a surgery for a veteran’s dog’s abdomen tumor.
Patch.com to start with claimed the allegations from Richard Osthoff. He was described as a disabled U.S. Navy veteran who was honorably discharged in 2002 and residing in New Jersey with his pitbull mix Sapphire at the time he sought the veterinary treatment.
He and a different veteran told Patch that Osthoff was set in contact with Anthony Devolder — 1 of multiple names Santos is reported to have employed in the previous — who set up a GoFundMe by his purported pet charity, Buddies of Animals United. The New York Times reported previous month that neither the Internal Income Service nor the legal professional general’s offices of New York and New Jersey could discover any document of a registered charity by that title.
Soon after the fundraiser hit its $3,000 aim, Santos had allegedly directed Osthoff to take Sapphire to a veterinarian in Queens, who declined to function on the doggy. Santos then became elusive, and eventually informed Osthoff he experienced moved the revenue into his charity to use “for other dogs,” the veteran informed Patch.
Sapphire died in January 2017, and Osthoff claimed he experienced to panhandle to pay for the dog’s conclusion-of-everyday living solutions, in accordance to the report.
“I was so livid that I realized that this dude is now a serving congressman. He would not should have that position. It is really horrendous that he could lie and steal and cheat his way by way of everyday living,” Osthoff explained Wednesday in an interview with NBC Information.
The Queens District Attorney’s office declined to comment especially on Santos’ alleged mishandling of the crowdfunding marketing campaign. A spokeswoman for the place of work rather reiterated a prior statement about Santos’ alleged carry out, indicating, “While as a make a difference of course we do not remark on open up investigations, we are examining irrespective of whether Queens County has jurisdiction about any opportunity felony offenses.”
GoFundMe spokesman Jalen Drummond in a assertion Wednesday explained, “When we acquired a report of an difficulty with this fundraiser in late 2016, our belief and security staff sought proof of the shipping and delivery of money from the organizer.”
“The organizer unsuccessful to react, which led to the fundraiser staying taken out and the electronic mail connected with that account prohibited from more use on our system,” Drummond mentioned. “GoFundMe has a zero tolerance plan for misuse of our platform and cooperates with legislation enforcement investigations of individuals accused of wrongdoing.”
Santos on Wednesday termed the Patch report “faux,” telling information outlet Semafor he experienced “no clue who this is.”
Santos has been less than compounding stress, including from some of his fellow Republicans, ever considering that past month’s bombshell report from The New York Occasions known as into dilemma numerous of Santos’ promises about his education and learning and personalized lifestyle.
That report set off a flurry of other damning accusations, ranging from Santos flaunting his inaccurate resume to support increase marketing campaign money, to Santos lying about currently being a college or university volleyball star.
NBC documented Wednesday that Santos claimed his mother was in the Globe Trade Heart on Sept. 11, 2001. But records present she was not even in the U.S. at the time.
Santo is at this time struggling with area and federal investigations and several ethics issues. He has apologized for “embellishing” his resume but mentioned he dedicated no crimes.
Santos, who won his Extensive Island congressional district in November, was sworn in this month and has refused phone calls to give up his seat.
Republicans in New York have denounced Santos as a liar and a disgrace and have urged him to resign. But some best Republicans on Capitol Hill have not joined those calls. Household Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has echoed Santos’ possess argument that voters of his district must be the ones to come to a decision irrespective of whether he stays in Congress.
McCarthy prospects a trim, fractious Republican majority in the House. If Santos were to depart business, it would possible cause a aggressive distinctive election in New York for his seat.
Santos has vowed to serve out his complete two-calendar year expression.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., made a very similar argument Thursday when questioned by CNN no matter if he thought Santos must resign.
“No, I have been obvious, I think that’s anything in between him and his voters,” stated Donalds, a member of the Residence Oversight Committee.
