George Santos raked in money by courting allies of indicted Chinese billionaire: report

Disgraced Rep. George Santos (R-NY) fundraised in an unconventional way, reported Mother Jones on Friday: by courting supporters of indicted Chinese billionaire Miles Guo.

"Of about 50 total contributors, the document listed about three dozen contributors spread across the country who mostly have Chinese names and who had each maxed out to Santos by donating $3,300, the legal maximum for the primary election," reported David Corn, Noah Leonard, and Dan Friedman. "Together, this group pumped roughly $130,000 into Santos’ political bank account."

These donations, which include Guo supporters like Rona Starks of Sugar Land, Texas, and Xuehong Zhang of Plano, Texas, account for nearly all of Santos' second-quarter fundraising haul.

"Guo, who fled China in 2014 to avoid fraud charges there, has branded himself a foe of the Chinese Communist Party, and he has amassed a loyal following of supporters in the Chinese diaspora in the United States and abroad," said the report. However, "In March, the Justice Department charged Guo with deploying a series of fraudulent business schemes to fleece his fans out of more than $1 billion. Federal prosecutors alleged Guo used investors’ funds to pay for mansions and fancy cars, $36,000 mattresses, and a $27 million yacht. He has been indicted for wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering." Guo denies the charges and claims the federal government is in league with the Chinese Communist Party. He is scheduled to stand trial next year.

Santos, for his part, has publicly attacked the charges against Guo, who also happens to have close ties to former President Donald Trump's one-time adviser Steve Bannon, also facing charges of fraud.

Santos himself is also facing federal charges. Shortly after winning election in a Long Island congressional district last year, Santos was revealed to have fabricated almost every aspect of his life story and credentials on the campaign trail, and came under suspicion for a litany of campaign finance irregularities, including reporting fictional donors. He was subsequently indicted for wire fraud and unemployment benefits fraud.