'Huge red flag': CNN analyst says Santos' claim of how he made his money doesn't add up
On CNN Wednesday, Democratic strategist Doug Thornell outlined one of the most suspicious aspects of Rep.-elect George Santos (R-NY).
Santos has become embroiled in scandal following a series of reports revealing many of his personal details he told voters during the campaign, from working at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs to running a pet rescue charity, were complete fabrications. But, argued Thornell, none of that compares to the ongoing question of how exactly he became wealthy enough to loan his own campaign $700,000, after having been evicted from his old apartment for nonpayment of rent.
"You're a veteran campaign hand," said anchor Phil Mattingly. "This is not an oppo-related question. I understand the dynamics going into this, that both sides had a lot of information tied to this, but it's the money part, in terms of how that goes with that. You see stuff where it all came from. When you look at it from a campaign perspective and what you've seen or what we've learned publicly about the money and what was transferred in, where it came from, what stands out to you, do you see clear red flags?"
"I mean, it's his PFD [personal financial disclosure]," said Thornell. "He filled it out and he didn't list any clients. He supposedly earned $750,000 — that's what he gave to his campaign — he earned hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have to list your clients. He didn't do that. And so that's a huge red flag ... I think he's going to be sworn in, going to have leverage then, but at the end of the day, he has to — he has to do the right thing here and step down."
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That being said, Thornell added, "I don't think he will, because he's a Trump acolyte, and the rule is, you stay on until you are literally kicked out."
"But the biggest red flag is that PFD," Thornell continued. "There are a number of other things in his background that is just — that is are, you know, extraordinarily concerning. If you — even the thing about the charity, the pet charity, the Holocaust accusations, the thing about the Pulse Nightclub, just — the guy's a total fraud and the people in his district deserve a lot better than this."
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