Among Republican Rep. George Santos' litanyoflies: The suspicion, raised in an investigation Friday by Mother Jones, that the Republican congressman simply invented some of his campaign donors and passed them off as real in official federal documents.
If so, that's against the law at a time when Santos could befacingafederal investigation over his campaign committee's finances — say nothing of some extreme and related drama involving his treasurer.
Recently, a source sent Raw Story a curious document of a similar ilk. It's a fundraising invitation that Santos circulated last spring while still a congressional candidate. In it, he invites prospective donors to give his campaign money in exchange for some sporty face time.
"I have box seats for the New York Mets game on May 3rd, and I would love to have you join me ... enter now!" Santos' message reads above several suggested contribution amounts ranging up to $1,000. (The contest's fine print notes that, per New York State law, you don't actually have to donate to win.)
We checked Santos' social media accounts to see if he had posted anything about this outing, and lo, he had. There, on his "santos4_congress" Instagram account is a photo of him in a Mets t-shirt flashing a thumbs-up and flanked by a gentleman in a Mets jersey and another in a button-down an khakis.
So we're left to wonder: Who are these two ostensible campaign contributors that Santos' election committee treated to some Major League Baseball after inveigling campaign money from the masses?
Are these unnamed fellows, pictured in an Instagram post from Santos' campaign, really Santos supporters?
Or, are these men just two guys from the next row over who had only met Santos a few moments before this photo, when he asked them to mug for an Insta?
Did they enter Santos' contest and pay money for the privilege of catching a game with a candidate who'd soon become Capitol Hill's most truth-challenged lawmaker?
What do they think of the embattled congressman now? If you know these men, we'd like to hear from you.
If you are these men, we'd like to hear from you, too.
Drop us a confidential line at editor@rawstory.com.
