WEBVTT - Episode 4: The Donor 0:00:15.356 --> 0:00:21.476 Pushkin so Jake. 0:00:21.676 --> 0:00:24.516 When we started reporting this series, I set out to 0:00:24.516 --> 0:00:29.516 speak with one of Santos's donors because I thought it 0:00:29.516 --> 0:00:32.716 would be interesting to talk to someone who chose to 0:00:32.756 --> 0:00:33.676 support Santos. 0:00:34.396 --> 0:00:36.636 Yeah, and I totally didn't think you're gonna get anyone 0:00:36.676 --> 0:00:37.716 to talk to you on the record. 0:00:38.876 --> 0:00:42.876 Me too, But also, I mean, Santos's donors play a 0:00:42.916 --> 0:00:46.036 significant role in the indictments against him, so I was 0:00:46.076 --> 0:00:49.556 hopeful I would get someone on the record. And now, 0:00:49.636 --> 0:00:53.876 with George Santos pleading guilty in federal court, we won't 0:00:53.876 --> 0:00:57.436 have a trial, and so there's many people we won't 0:00:57.436 --> 0:01:02.916 hear from. But today you're gonna hear from someone who 0:01:03.316 --> 0:01:06.956 was subpoenaed, someone who was expecting to have to testify 0:01:07.036 --> 0:01:12.796 about George Santos, who once upon a time was his ally. 0:01:14.436 --> 0:01:19.516 I met George at an event in Maddictuck, out east 0:01:19.636 --> 0:01:25.076 on Long Island, probably in twenty twenty one. It was hot, 0:01:25.156 --> 0:01:26.516 so it must have been the summer. 0:01:27.276 --> 0:01:28.716 This is Kathy Soref. 0:01:29.476 --> 0:01:33.156 It was an event that was held by someone I 0:01:33.196 --> 0:01:36.876 didn't know, but I had been invited to this, probably 0:01:36.956 --> 0:01:44.236 because of my history of supporting conservative candidates. 0:01:44.796 --> 0:01:48.076 She's a Republican donor who lives on Long Island on 0:01:48.116 --> 0:01:48.676 the north. 0:01:48.436 --> 0:01:51.316 Shore, the North Shore like Gatsby Country. 0:01:51.556 --> 0:01:52.476 Yes, exactly. 0:01:53.596 --> 0:01:59.076 Kathy has voted for every Republican presidential candidate since Gerald Ford. 0:01:59.596 --> 0:02:02.916 When I interviewed Kathy at her house, there was a 0:02:02.956 --> 0:02:05.996 lot going on. I got the sense that Kathy's house 0:02:06.276 --> 0:02:11.716 is always buzzing with activity. And also just me calling 0:02:11.756 --> 0:02:15.476 it a house is really underselling it, because this place 0:02:15.596 --> 0:02:16.076 was massive. 0:02:16.636 --> 0:02:17.396 Outside. 0:02:17.716 --> 0:02:21.836 There are these colorful sculptures of animals all over the property, 0:02:21.956 --> 0:02:26.756 like think pink, blue, purple. The house is at the 0:02:26.916 --> 0:02:30.996 end of a private road, and when I parked outside, 0:02:31.076 --> 0:02:34.396 I noticed there was room to park. I guess at 0:02:34.476 --> 0:02:37.076 least ten cars outside the front door. 0:02:38.276 --> 0:02:40.676 What do you call the house the Villa Gorilla? 0:02:40.876 --> 0:02:42.396 Where did that name come from? 0:02:42.956 --> 0:02:47.356 Well, it's disputed. My nephews take credit for it, but 0:02:47.796 --> 0:02:51.196 I think that Douglas named it that after a Warren 0:02:51.316 --> 0:02:52.036 Zevon saw. 0:02:52.676 --> 0:02:56.596 Douglas is her husband. So all this to say, she's 0:02:56.636 --> 0:02:59.756 got a great house for parties. Anyway, back to the 0:02:59.796 --> 0:03:04.316 moment when Kathy first met George Santos. She told me 0:03:04.436 --> 0:03:07.956 that before she actually met him in person, at that 0:03:08.196 --> 0:03:11.676 Republican fundrase r out east on the Island, she got 0:03:11.676 --> 0:03:12.276 a phone call. 0:03:13.116 --> 0:03:15.556 I don't know how much of a coincidence it was, 0:03:15.636 --> 0:03:19.596 but I received a phone call from George asking for 0:03:20.716 --> 0:03:25.196 money because he was announcing his candidacy. 0:03:25.396 --> 0:03:27.636 Before that even met. He just like cold called. 0:03:27.396 --> 0:03:30.476 Her, yes, well, out of the blue. 0:03:30.636 --> 0:03:33.476 Like he'd just gotten a whiff of what she might 0:03:33.516 --> 0:03:34.196 do for him. 0:03:34.756 --> 0:03:35.516 Yeah, exactly. 0:03:36.316 --> 0:03:39.876 And then when she arrives at the fundraiser, guess who 0:03:39.916 --> 0:03:40.676 she's sitting with. 0:03:41.276 --> 0:03:45.956 We were seated at the same table. George described himself 0:03:46.116 --> 0:03:50.876 as being independently well to do and felt that he 0:03:51.316 --> 0:03:55.876 it was his civic duty to participate in public service. 0:03:56.356 --> 0:03:58.756 And Kathy told me that she liked him even from 0:03:58.756 --> 0:04:03.156 that first meeting, even if he wasn't her perfect candidate. 0:04:03.676 --> 0:04:12.596 George is not your average type and certainly not my 0:04:13.036 --> 0:04:18.396 ideal political candidate, but for a Republican running in Democrat 0:04:18.596 --> 0:04:23.116 New York, I thought he would be he would win. So, 0:04:23.716 --> 0:04:28.156 you know, I said that I would support him and 0:04:28.236 --> 0:04:32.036 give him, you know, a couple of events which I 0:04:32.156 --> 0:04:35.796 did to help him introduce him to other people. So 0:04:35.916 --> 0:04:40.036 I expended a lot of my own personal political capital, 0:04:40.876 --> 0:04:46.596 meaning my friends and connections who participate in conservative politics, 0:04:47.236 --> 0:04:50.916 and they supported George for the same reason that I did. 0:04:51.956 --> 0:04:54.156 What does she mean by that? What is her reason? 0:04:54.476 --> 0:04:56.996 I think she meant that he was a candidate who 0:04:56.996 --> 0:05:00.356 could maybe win in New York and in that district. 0:05:00.836 --> 0:05:02.956 You know, she found him quite charming. 0:05:03.876 --> 0:05:06.436 Well, he's kind of a weird guy, but he's kind 0:05:06.476 --> 0:05:13.716 of oddly charismatics, whip it smart, a very very quick thinking, 0:05:15.116 --> 0:05:20.356 he has a lot of social references, and he's very palsy. 0:05:21.716 --> 0:05:24.556 And Kathy isn't the only one who saw something promising 0:05:24.756 --> 0:05:28.996 in this new young candidate. She was just one of 0:05:29.436 --> 0:05:33.876 many donors who contributed to the Santos campaign. Donors who 0:05:33.916 --> 0:05:38.156 were deceived and in some cases defrauded, And these donors 0:05:38.156 --> 0:05:40.156 have played a huge role in his unraveling. 0:05:41.196 --> 0:05:44.636 The man who flew under the radar for so long and. 0:05:44.636 --> 0:05:47.716 Seemingly got away with a lot of lies and half 0:05:47.756 --> 0:05:52.676 truths and deceit has finally had to face some real consequences. 0:05:54.756 --> 0:06:04.396 This is Deep Cover George Santos Episode four, The Donor. So, 0:06:05.236 --> 0:06:10.076 as you're aware, Santos was indicted twice, but I want 0:06:10.116 --> 0:06:13.116 to talk for a moment about that first indictment that 0:06:13.236 --> 0:06:15.316 came down in May of twenty twenty three. 0:06:16.596 --> 0:06:17.356 We were shocked. 0:06:17.956 --> 0:06:23.236 My phone is literally blowing up in the worst way possible. 0:06:23.796 --> 0:06:26.676 Inquiries about saying, is George going to jail? What's going on? 0:06:26.876 --> 0:06:30.596 And it's just I thought, my reputation is so screwed. 0:06:31.316 --> 0:06:36.516 That's Nesa Woomer. She was Santos's communications director. So this 0:06:36.636 --> 0:06:41.756 indictment is for thirteen counts. The charges range from money 0:06:41.796 --> 0:06:47.036 laundering to stealing public money, wire fraud, and making false 0:06:47.076 --> 0:06:51.756 statements to Congress. And it's in that moment that everyone 0:06:51.836 --> 0:06:55.316 can see for the first time, really what sort of 0:06:55.476 --> 0:07:00.076 criminal allegations George Santos is facing. These are things that 0:07:00.116 --> 0:07:03.636 go beyond the stories that he told about his personal 0:07:03.676 --> 0:07:07.916 life or some fabrications on his resume. A lot had 0:07:07.956 --> 0:07:12.116 been speculated. Things come into sharp focus when the charges 0:07:12.156 --> 0:07:12.516 come out. 0:07:13.236 --> 0:07:17.556 I'm disgusted. I'm thoroughly disgusted. I thought, okay, now we're 0:07:17.556 --> 0:07:21.316 in you know, wire fraud and money laundering. You know, 0:07:22.076 --> 0:07:24.756 respect is gone. It became it was too much and 0:07:24.796 --> 0:07:25.796 it became too toxic. 0:07:26.436 --> 0:07:30.836 And directly following that indictment, Santos faces a vote from 0:07:30.836 --> 0:07:35.756 the House. Someone introduces a resolution to expel him. Essentially 0:07:35.756 --> 0:07:38.516 to oust him from Congress, and I'm. 0:07:38.436 --> 0:07:44.316 Personally in favor of this individual's expulsion from this House. Regretably, however, 0:07:44.916 --> 0:07:47.236 I'm in the understanding that we currently do not have 0:07:47.276 --> 0:07:50.276 the two thirds support from members of this House to 0:07:50.396 --> 0:07:51.436 expel that individual. 0:07:51.996 --> 0:07:54.396 So, just to break down what's happening here, you're hearing 0:07:54.396 --> 0:07:58.636 from a Republican also from New York, who is not 0:07:58.676 --> 0:08:01.796 happy with Santos. But at this moment in time, the 0:08:01.836 --> 0:08:05.116 Republicans have the majority in the House, and it seems 0:08:05.116 --> 0:08:08.716 like politically there are quite a few Republicans who don't 0:08:08.716 --> 0:08:10.476 want to put that into jeopardy. 0:08:10.916 --> 0:08:12.436 Just to be clear here, this is a district that 0:08:12.476 --> 0:08:15.076 could swing back to blue in theory. 0:08:15.196 --> 0:08:18.476 Yes, so the House votes to keep Santos in office 0:08:19.276 --> 0:08:23.396 for now. But in this moment, Nesa is done. You know, 0:08:23.476 --> 0:08:26.476 she's asked around for advice and they've all basically told 0:08:26.516 --> 0:08:27.196 her the same thing. 0:08:28.236 --> 0:08:28.956 They just said. 0:08:29.516 --> 0:08:31.636 If I were you, or if I was advising a client, 0:08:32.196 --> 0:08:35.596 I would resign. The longer you stay, the longer it's 0:08:35.636 --> 0:08:36.516 going to hurt you. 0:08:37.876 --> 0:08:42.036 NASA resigns right after that unsuccessful vote to oust Santos 0:08:42.036 --> 0:08:42.716 from Congress. 0:08:43.396 --> 0:08:47.156 So I'm curious back in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, 0:08:47.996 --> 0:08:51.996 the donors that George Santos was courting people like Kathy. 0:08:52.196 --> 0:08:55.676 Do you get the sense that she had any idea 0:08:55.956 --> 0:08:57.476 what this guy was really up to. 0:08:58.156 --> 0:09:00.956 Kathy has said to me that she had no clue 0:09:01.116 --> 0:09:04.756 about what George Santos was up to, and I believe 0:09:04.796 --> 0:09:07.036 her on that. I mean, she had no reason not 0:09:07.076 --> 0:09:10.276 to trust him in that moment. I do get the 0:09:10.276 --> 0:09:15.276 sense that Kathy and George Santos formed a friendship in 0:09:15.316 --> 0:09:16.556 the time that they knew each other. 0:09:17.556 --> 0:09:21.316 He came to my house several times. He would drop. 0:09:21.436 --> 0:09:26.756 He claimed to live near here. He told me that 0:09:27.236 --> 0:09:30.596 his mother died of cancer. He told me that his 0:09:30.716 --> 0:09:31.756 mother went to Harvard. 0:09:32.756 --> 0:09:34.396 He told you that his mother went to Harvard. 0:09:34.196 --> 0:09:38.956 Yes, he did. And he also told me that he 0:09:39.076 --> 0:09:40.596 had survived cancer. 0:09:41.516 --> 0:09:43.476 That George had survived cancer. 0:09:43.876 --> 0:09:47.276 Right, he did tell me that, did he give? I 0:09:47.356 --> 0:09:49.756 didn't go into it because when someone says, oh, yes, 0:09:49.836 --> 0:09:52.876 I'm a cancer survivor, I didn't say, well, what kind 0:09:52.956 --> 0:09:56.076 did you have? I just was kind of stunned. I said, oh, 0:09:56.076 --> 0:10:00.556 I'm sorry. That added to his story and appeal that 0:10:00.596 --> 0:10:01.676 he's a survivor. 0:10:01.836 --> 0:10:04.876 You see It's like it's like a jazz musician. He's 0:10:04.916 --> 0:10:08.796 just improvising. I haven't heard these these Santos stories yet. 0:10:08.796 --> 0:10:12.396 This is yes, wow, yeah, this is the first time 0:10:12.396 --> 0:10:14.636 I had heard a lot of this too. And I 0:10:14.676 --> 0:10:17.916 think that maybe some of these stories were cherry picked 0:10:17.916 --> 0:10:19.116 for Kathy. 0:10:19.196 --> 0:10:20.396 What do you mean that you think that some of 0:10:20.436 --> 0:10:22.316 these stories might have been cherry picked for Kathy? 0:10:23.196 --> 0:10:27.276 Like these are things that George Santos thought would impress Kathy, 0:10:28.396 --> 0:10:31.196 and I should say. Kathy would later tell me it 0:10:31.236 --> 0:10:35.516 was actually Yale that his mother attended, not Harvard, and 0:10:35.556 --> 0:10:39.276 that she actually isn't all that impressed by an Ivy 0:10:39.316 --> 0:10:44.756 League education. But regardless, I see this as George Santos 0:10:45.076 --> 0:10:49.596 trying to play the role trying to impress Kathy. I see, 0:10:49.756 --> 0:10:53.396 And George needs someone like Kathy to like him, right, 0:10:53.516 --> 0:10:57.396 because Kathy is a door to connections to more money, 0:10:57.876 --> 0:11:01.476 Which brings us back to this event that Kathy decides 0:11:01.516 --> 0:11:04.836 she's going to throw for George at the Villa Gorilla. 0:11:05.676 --> 0:11:08.876 She couldn't remember the exact date, but thinks it was 0:11:09.236 --> 0:11:11.996 ing the twenty twenty two campaign. She told me she 0:11:12.076 --> 0:11:15.196 sent out printed invites, and of course I wanted to 0:11:15.196 --> 0:11:16.196 hear every detail. 0:11:17.636 --> 0:11:21.396 Santos stood at the door. He was like the welcome wagon. 0:11:21.916 --> 0:11:24.316 He was greeting everyone, and we were standing in the 0:11:24.356 --> 0:11:27.356 front hall and I would introduce him to everyone. It 0:11:27.476 --> 0:11:30.876 was casual. Then we were inside and outside, and then 0:11:31.116 --> 0:11:33.676 he gave this talk in the living room. George was 0:11:34.036 --> 0:11:35.316 very funny and engaging. 0:11:35.956 --> 0:11:38.476 It's funny the image of him standing at the door 0:11:38.516 --> 0:11:42.116 to this mansion as if he were welcoming guests to 0:11:42.196 --> 0:11:44.876 his own home. I mean it just that seems so 0:11:44.996 --> 0:11:47.636 believable to me and so kind of fitting for this 0:11:47.716 --> 0:11:48.956 guy's aspirations. 0:11:49.316 --> 0:11:50.596 Yeah, and who. 0:11:50.396 --> 0:11:53.476 Were the people at Villa Gorilla that evening? 0:11:54.356 --> 0:11:59.116 My focus is next generation, So we had quite a 0:11:59.116 --> 0:12:03.716 few young people here from the area. Maybe we had 0:12:03.756 --> 0:12:07.236 thirty people. But I'm sure he raised a fair amount 0:12:07.236 --> 0:12:12.556 of money. I had several of my local, longtime friends 0:12:12.596 --> 0:12:17.556 who showed up for it. It was tremendously horrible for 0:12:17.676 --> 0:12:19.076 me of what happened. 0:12:21.676 --> 0:12:25.196 What happened, meaning when she eventually learned what Santos was 0:12:25.236 --> 0:12:29.516 really up to. When the New York Times story came out. 0:12:29.076 --> 0:12:32.876 The guy hood winked everyone. For me, I'm furious because 0:12:32.996 --> 0:12:35.996 I spent some of my friends that I asked to 0:12:36.036 --> 0:12:39.636 support George. I mean all of them, they know me, 0:12:39.876 --> 0:12:42.596 so they're you know, and they were hoodwinked and know 0:12:42.676 --> 0:12:46.076 that I was hoodwinked. But they were upset that they 0:12:46.116 --> 0:12:50.316 were dragged into this and it was my responsibility. 0:12:50.676 --> 0:12:50.916 You know. 0:12:51.036 --> 0:12:53.876 I am mad at myself for not doing my own 0:12:53.956 --> 0:12:54.756 due diligence. 0:12:56.196 --> 0:12:58.796 Does Kathy see herself as a victim? 0:13:00.236 --> 0:13:04.076 Kathy told me that she considers herself that she was 0:13:04.116 --> 0:13:08.036 defrauded by George Santos, but she does not think that Santos, 0:13:08.676 --> 0:13:11.516 you know, stole from her. She does not think that 0:13:12.676 --> 0:13:16.116 her credit card information was misused in any way. And 0:13:16.996 --> 0:13:22.236 the reason that's irrelevant distinction is because Santo's did steal 0:13:22.516 --> 0:13:25.756 from some of his donors by charging their credit cards 0:13:26.396 --> 0:13:30.196 without their consent for large sums of money. 0:13:31.556 --> 0:13:35.716 He did not steal from me. I probably in total, 0:13:35.876 --> 0:13:38.876 besides the and it probably cost me a few thousand 0:13:38.956 --> 0:13:42.836 dollars to give him an event. I probably in addition, 0:13:44.276 --> 0:13:46.236 maybe it was about six thousand dollars. 0:13:46.436 --> 0:13:48.916 I've seen Newsday did like a review of federal election data, 0:13:48.956 --> 0:13:50.836 and I think they pegged you at like seven thousand. 0:13:51.156 --> 0:13:53.596 Well maybe some you know, I don't really keep track 0:13:53.636 --> 0:13:55.956 of it. I gave him a check. I think maybe 0:13:55.956 --> 0:13:58.676 one time I gave him a credit card. I don't remember. 0:13:58.796 --> 0:14:00.396 I don't I'd have to go through all of my 0:14:00.436 --> 0:14:03.476 right papers again. But it was, you know, nominal, like 0:14:03.516 --> 0:14:05.036 one thousand dollars at a time. 0:14:05.716 --> 0:14:07.636 I have to ask the question, do you know of 0:14:07.716 --> 0:14:12.516 anyone who attended a fundraiser at your house may have 0:14:12.556 --> 0:14:13.836 had their credit card information? 0:14:14.156 --> 0:14:17.236 I don't know for a fact any of that. 0:14:18.556 --> 0:14:22.076 So to be clear, Kathy does not know if anyone 0:14:22.196 --> 0:14:26.116 in her orbit that she had at the fundraiser was 0:14:26.236 --> 0:14:29.756 part of this credit card fraud scheme, whether they were 0:14:29.916 --> 0:14:33.116 targets for that. But I can say that the indictment 0:14:33.516 --> 0:14:40.556 lays out some other examples in detail, and Santos goes 0:14:40.596 --> 0:14:45.196 on a spending spree with his donor's credit cards. More 0:14:45.276 --> 0:14:46.836 on that after the break. 0:14:55.716 --> 0:14:59.676 So credit card fraud, it's a pretty big deal. How 0:14:59.756 --> 0:15:01.916 much are we talking about money wise here? 0:15:02.436 --> 0:15:06.196 So there's one example in particular that's laid out in 0:15:06.236 --> 0:15:11.156 the indictment, And to protect this person's ident, it's anonymized, 0:15:11.236 --> 0:15:16.236 so they're only referred to as contributor number twelve. So 0:15:16.636 --> 0:15:20.556 this all begins when contributor number twelve sends their credit 0:15:20.556 --> 0:15:25.116 card info to the Santos campaign and the Santos team 0:15:25.276 --> 0:15:29.156 charges it for more than they should on that day. 0:15:29.956 --> 0:15:32.596 And this is an issue for two reasons, the first 0:15:32.636 --> 0:15:37.836 being that contributor number twelve did not authorize this overcharge, 0:15:38.076 --> 0:15:42.316 but also it's over the limit of what's allowed, which 0:15:42.836 --> 0:15:46.956 back in twenty twenty two was twenty nine hundred dollars 0:15:47.516 --> 0:15:50.716 that you could give once for the primary and then 0:15:50.956 --> 0:15:52.316 again in the general election. 0:15:52.676 --> 0:15:55.676 Okay, so in theory, that's fifty eight hundred for the two. 0:15:56.676 --> 0:15:59.676 Now what's the deal with contributor number twelve? How much 0:16:00.076 --> 0:16:01.796 over was this person charged? 0:16:02.636 --> 0:16:07.396 So Contributor number twelve was charged fifteen thousand, eight hundred dollars, 0:16:07.436 --> 0:16:12.116 so almost sixteen thousand in contributions, which is ten thousand 0:16:12.236 --> 0:16:14.276 over what is technically allowed. 0:16:15.196 --> 0:16:21.476 Well, I mean, is that is that a mistake? You 0:16:21.636 --> 0:16:26.596 want to say, like, right, did this happen more than once? 0:16:27.596 --> 0:16:28.076 It did? 0:16:29.316 --> 0:16:35.516 So Santos and his team attempted over forty thousand dollars 0:16:35.556 --> 0:16:38.396 of contributions from Contributor twelve over the course of a 0:16:38.436 --> 0:16:42.756 few months, so they repeatedly charged his card. And then 0:16:44.076 --> 0:16:48.716 we see an even more brazen act when the indictment 0:16:48.756 --> 0:16:51.756 lays out that Santos just started sending money to his 0:16:51.796 --> 0:16:58.036 own personal account directly, again without any authorization from Contributor 0:16:58.116 --> 0:17:03.396 number twelve. So in one case, they used their credit 0:17:03.396 --> 0:17:08.356 card billing information to transfer more than eleven thousand dollars 0:17:08.436 --> 0:17:10.916 to Santos's personal bank account. 0:17:11.276 --> 0:17:12.956 He's like a kid in a candy store with no 0:17:12.956 --> 0:17:14.276 one watching, it seems like. 0:17:15.236 --> 0:17:17.596 And this is also the first time in the indictment 0:17:17.636 --> 0:17:22.916 we hear about something that prosecutors call company number one. 0:17:24.036 --> 0:17:26.436 At a certain point during the twenty twenty two campaign, 0:17:27.476 --> 0:17:31.516 Santos uses the credit card billing information of Contributor twelve, 0:17:32.596 --> 0:17:36.956 charges twelve thousand dollars and it hits the account of 0:17:37.116 --> 0:17:38.196 Company number one. 0:17:38.756 --> 0:17:39.956 What is company number one? 0:17:40.636 --> 0:17:44.396 So the House Ethics Report and other reporting has identified 0:17:44.436 --> 0:17:50.716 Company number one as red Stone Strategies. Red Stone Strategies 0:17:51.396 --> 0:17:54.636 is all over this indictment as company number one. 0:17:54.676 --> 0:17:57.676 And let me guess it was formed just before the election. 0:17:58.756 --> 0:18:02.316 It was formed in November twenty twenty one, so yes, 0:18:02.636 --> 0:18:05.356 around the time that Santos is mounting his campaign for 0:18:05.396 --> 0:18:06.516 the twenty twenty two election. 0:18:07.116 --> 0:18:08.236 It was formed in Florida. 0:18:08.556 --> 0:18:12.196 Santos is a major stakeholder of Redstone Strategies gets tried 0:18:12.236 --> 0:18:15.276 to distance himself, but his fingerprints appear to be all 0:18:15.276 --> 0:18:18.716 over this company. And so, basically, going back to contributor 0:18:18.836 --> 0:18:21.716 number twelve for a moment, they are charged twelve thousand 0:18:21.756 --> 0:18:26.476 dollars to Redstone Strategies, and then it seems like what 0:18:26.596 --> 0:18:29.236 prosecutors allegend the indictment is that most of that twelve 0:18:29.276 --> 0:18:35.276 thousand dollars goes from Redstone Strategies directly to Santos's personal 0:18:35.276 --> 0:18:35.876 bank account. 0:18:35.996 --> 0:18:42.996 Again, okay, so I have a question about contributor number twelve. 0:18:43.556 --> 0:18:46.756 How did this person not notice that their credit card 0:18:46.876 --> 0:18:51.996 was being charged excessively by tens of thousands of dollars? 0:18:52.036 --> 0:18:53.996 Like at my house when I see like an Amazon 0:18:54.116 --> 0:18:57.436 charge for nine ninety nine that I don't recognize, I'm like, huh, so, 0:18:57.516 --> 0:18:58.476 what's going on here? 0:18:59.356 --> 0:19:01.316 Yeah, it's a good question. 0:19:01.396 --> 0:19:03.956 I wish I had an answer for you, okay, And 0:19:03.996 --> 0:19:06.876 I should say that there are two other donors who 0:19:06.916 --> 0:19:09.996 each made contributions of twenty five one thousand dollars to 0:19:10.076 --> 0:19:15.316 Redstone Strategies. That is a problem for multiple reasons, and 0:19:16.036 --> 0:19:20.676 Redstone Strategies was not set up to accept political contributions, 0:19:21.396 --> 0:19:24.236 it was not actually registered with the proper authorities. 0:19:24.876 --> 0:19:25.996 Where does that money go? 0:19:26.796 --> 0:19:29.116 So they were told that money would go to pay 0:19:29.196 --> 0:19:34.116 for advertising, but it looks like that money almost all 0:19:34.156 --> 0:19:37.276 of it, So fifty thousand dollars total went directly to 0:19:37.316 --> 0:19:40.836 Santosi's personal accounts. In the indictment, they say that that 0:19:40.956 --> 0:19:45.996 went to cash withdrawals, personal purchases of luxury designer clothing, 0:19:46.436 --> 0:19:50.916 credit card payments, a car payment, payments on personal debts. 0:19:51.236 --> 0:19:53.876 The House report gets even more specific. They claimed that 0:19:53.956 --> 0:19:56.676 some of that fifty thousand dollars was actually spent at 0:19:56.796 --> 0:20:00.556 or Mez, the fancy designer store, over four thousand dollars. 0:20:00.516 --> 0:20:02.956 Right, which is a legitimate business expense if you're going 0:20:02.996 --> 0:20:05.396 to convinced owners at the Villa Gorilla that you are 0:20:05.436 --> 0:20:05.756 the man. 0:20:07.036 --> 0:20:10.196 Yeah, maybe he thought that that was just you know, 0:20:10.276 --> 0:20:13.916 so much of Santos's campaign was trying to keep up 0:20:13.916 --> 0:20:18.676 appearances and court the Kathyes of the world right and 0:20:18.756 --> 0:20:21.796 show them that he was on their level, and so 0:20:21.876 --> 0:20:25.476 maybe he felt like he needed to engage in this 0:20:25.556 --> 0:20:30.076 kind of spending to keep up this persona By the 0:20:30.116 --> 0:20:33.236 time that that second indictment is out and the House 0:20:33.276 --> 0:20:37.116 ethics report has been published. A lot of people are 0:20:37.156 --> 0:20:42.036 just done with George Santos. For at least some Republicans 0:20:42.076 --> 0:20:45.636 in Congress, they've seen enough, and they have one more 0:20:45.716 --> 0:20:51.076 vote to oust him from Congress. In December of twenty twenty. 0:20:50.796 --> 0:20:55.796 Three, two thirds voting in the affirmative, the resolution is adopted. 0:20:55.956 --> 0:20:58.196 The cheer announces to the House that in light of 0:20:58.236 --> 0:21:00.836 the expulsion of the gentleman from New York, mister Santos, 0:21:01.236 --> 0:21:03.556 the whole number of the House is now four hundred 0:21:03.556 --> 0:21:04.036 and thirty four. 0:21:04.876 --> 0:21:08.516 Hold up, Amy, So what does this mean for Republicans 0:21:08.556 --> 0:21:11.076 in the House, Like, what's going to happen with Santos's seat? 0:21:11.716 --> 0:21:14.516 So there was actually already a special election held for 0:21:14.676 --> 0:21:18.916 Santos's seat earlier this year and the Democrat won, so 0:21:20.076 --> 0:21:23.476 ultimately one less Republican in the House because of all 0:21:23.516 --> 0:21:23.756 of this. 0:21:25.636 --> 0:21:27.756 He was working in his own self interest and he 0:21:27.876 --> 0:21:32.956 succeeded bizarrely and becoming a congressman. 0:21:34.036 --> 0:21:36.196 You can still hear Kathy trying to make sense out 0:21:36.196 --> 0:21:41.236 of this, figuring out how this happened and who is 0:21:41.276 --> 0:21:57.556 to blame more on that in a minute, I was 0:21:57.596 --> 0:22:00.396 struck by one thing that Kathy said in particular, towards 0:22:00.396 --> 0:22:02.076 the end of our conversation. 0:22:02.516 --> 0:22:05.556 He would never have won as himself, which is another 0:22:05.956 --> 0:22:12.396 commentary on societ. I mean, George none of himself. He's 0:22:13.036 --> 0:22:15.716 a smart guy. I don't think he went to college, 0:22:15.756 --> 0:22:18.996 but I mean it's I mean, in the future, I 0:22:19.036 --> 0:22:22.396 think that college is going to be passe. And George, 0:22:22.436 --> 0:22:24.876 if he was left to what he could actually do. 0:22:24.996 --> 0:22:28.036 I mean, he's pretty smart and talented, but he didn't 0:22:28.036 --> 0:22:31.956 have the credentials, so he lied about his credentials, and 0:22:31.996 --> 0:22:35.196 he didn't have the money, so he stalled. Or I 0:22:35.236 --> 0:22:38.836 just shouldn't say he stole. He's accused of stealing to 0:22:40.676 --> 0:22:46.196 to you know, it's the old Machiavellian means to an end. 0:22:47.836 --> 0:22:51.956 Well, he never would have won as himself, is what 0:22:52.036 --> 0:22:57.476 she says. Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, if I'm hearing 0:22:57.556 --> 0:23:01.156 her right, she's almost saying like maybe, like at some 0:23:01.196 --> 0:23:03.276 point in the future, the things that he needed, like 0:23:03.516 --> 0:23:06.036 going to college, is going to become passe. It's not 0:23:06.076 --> 0:23:08.036 going to be this kind of bar to entry. She's 0:23:08.116 --> 0:23:10.996 kind of seeing future where some of the old benchmarks 0:23:10.996 --> 0:23:14.316 for what makes a good congressman or whatever or not there. 0:23:14.956 --> 0:23:18.356 And it's almost like she's saying he was ahead of 0:23:18.356 --> 0:23:20.036 his time and so he just had to lie to 0:23:20.076 --> 0:23:23.076 get around the kind of bars to entry that existed, 0:23:23.436 --> 0:23:25.676 but that he actually was smart enough and charming enough 0:23:25.716 --> 0:23:30.036 to that he had those kind of core aspects of 0:23:30.036 --> 0:23:31.676 what it would take, but he just couldn't get in 0:23:31.716 --> 0:23:35.556 because he didn't meet these other thresholds that are we 0:23:35.596 --> 0:23:39.236 still insist upon. I don't know. It's like she's almost 0:23:39.276 --> 0:23:40.876 like sympathetic to him in this moment. 0:23:41.756 --> 0:23:42.436 Oh, completely. 0:23:42.476 --> 0:23:46.596 And I found this fascinating because in this moment she's 0:23:46.676 --> 0:23:49.436 very self aware, I think, and that's what I hear 0:23:49.556 --> 0:23:52.956 is just you know, society wouldn't have accepted him as himself. 0:23:53.516 --> 0:23:56.836 It's interesting because she says it's a commentary on society 0:23:56.996 --> 0:23:59.836 that society never would have accepted George for who he was. 0:24:00.196 --> 0:24:02.116 But what she's really saying is I never would have 0:24:02.116 --> 0:24:04.556 accepted George for who he was. I mean she in 0:24:04.596 --> 0:24:07.996 this case, she is the gatekeeper. Yeah, she's the gatekeeper 0:24:07.996 --> 0:24:13.076 of this society completely. And I am certain, or I 0:24:13.116 --> 0:24:16.676 feel certain, that George Santos understood that deep in his bones. 0:24:17.396 --> 0:24:20.836 And if that is true, I wonder if he held 0:24:22.476 --> 0:24:27.276 a contempt that fueled his ability and his willingness to 0:24:27.356 --> 0:24:29.276 brazenly lie. 0:24:29.476 --> 0:24:34.116 Yeah, you're still see, so you're still fixated on the 0:24:34.156 --> 0:24:36.156 why George Santos did this? 0:24:36.796 --> 0:24:40.556 Yeah, in the end, that's the question that I think 0:24:40.636 --> 0:24:43.276 is gonna Yeah, that's the question that stays with me. 0:24:43.396 --> 0:24:46.516