Red flags raised over George Santos' first 'over-the-top' effort to raise money for Trump

Rep. George Santos hasn't been involved in politics for very long, but one of his first efforts was a fundraiser for a pro-Donald Trump rally that set a suspiciously high goal.

The New York Republican tried to raise $20,000 for a 2019 event in Buffalo that never took place, and members of the statewide group United for Trump that he led were skeptical of his claims that he needed $750 for an accountant, $2,500 for a lawyer and thousands more to pay a keynote speaker, reported Politico.

“You have to start small and local," said group member Lisa Bennett Joseph, who thought his plans were "over-the-top."

Santos scared up only $645 of his lofty goal, but it's still not clear what happened to that money, and his extravagant goals raised suspicions among group members -- and foreshadowed other fundraising efforts that have landed under investigation by state and local prosecutors, the Federal Election Commission and the FBI.

He became a founding member of the grassroots United for Trump group in spring 2019, and he was filmed holding a "Gays for Trump" sign at a March 23 rally at Trump Tower in Manhattan and set up a GoFundMe account two days later to help members raise money for a "Northeast tour" of rallies featuring the former president.

Santos posted a video on the group's Facebook page in March introducing himself and explaining why the group needed an accountant and lawyer, but more experienced conservative activists associated with the group said his plans for an August 2019 rally at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center didn't make sense.

“That’s really expensive and not set up for a rally,” said Buffalo conservative activist Rus Thompson, who organized a July 2019 counterprotest to Trump's impeachment. “Car or boat show, yes, but political rally? No.”