Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican facing federal criminal charges, raised about $150,000 for his reelection campaign from April through June — a modest sum that he mostly used to pay back money he had loaned to his past congressional bids.
Most of the contributions arrived after Santos’ indictment, from an unorthodox network of just over 50 donors scattered across the country, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission on Friday.
Some said they gave as a gag, but others sought to reward Santos’ stalwart stance against the Chinese Communist Party or his conservative views. Few had made large political donations in the past, and only three donors reported living in Santos’ Queens and Long Island district.
Santos used $85,000 of the money on May 30 to repay himself. He had previously reported giving his campaign more than $700,000 in personal loans.
The fundraising figures, the first since Santos officially began his reelection bid, were strikingly weak for a candidate in a competitive swing district. They underscored the steep political path before him as both Democrats and leaders of his party try to remove him next year.
One Democratic candidate for his seat, Zak Malamed, announced that he had taken in $417,000 in just the first six weeks of his campaign, nearly three times Santos’ total. Kellen Curry, a Republican primary challenger, reported raising more than $200,000.
Santos’ totals were also dwarfed by those raised by other front-line Republicans in New York, who are gearing up for some of the most closely contested races in the country next year.
Filings showed that Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican who narrowly flipped a Hudson Valley seat by defeating Sean Patrick Maloney, the powerful head of House Democrats’ campaign arm, raised just over $900,000 during the three-month period, much of it from political action committee.
The figure made him one of the most successful freshman fundraisers in the country, and left his campaign with $1.5 million in cash.
Other first-term Republicans in New York and New Jersey swing districts — including Reps. Marcus Molinaro, Anthony D’Esposito, Brandon Williams and Tom Kean Jr. — had not yet reported their totals by Friday afternoon.
The campaign of Rep. Pat Ryan, a Hudson Valley Democrat whom Republicans hope to unseat, said it had raised more than $625,000, down from more than $1 million raised in the previous quarter.
The recent contributions to Santos — $133,078.85 to his campaign and $16,600 to an affiliated committee, Devolder Santos Victory Committee — are almost certain to be scrutinized by federal prosecutors and the House Ethics Committee. Santos did not respond to a request for comment.
His donors included a part-time cashier from Georgia, students from Pennsylvania and California, a massage therapist from Texas and a member of a stage crew from New York, who all gave at least $3,300 each.
The Times reached out to more than 40 donors listed on Santos’ filing. Many had Chinese or other Asian surnames and donated around two dates, in late May and late June.
Santos has repeatedly linked his fundraising appeals to his opposition to the Chinese Communist Party, as well as his support for Guo Wengui, the exiled Chinese billionaire and Steve Bannon ally with a global legion of followers.
Santos has directly solicited support on Gettr, a conservative social media site financed by Guo and used by many of his followers. Guo, who also goes by the names Miles Guo and Miles Kwok, is facing legal jeopardy of his own, after federal prosecutors say he bilked his supporters out of more than $1 billion.
At least two donors said Santos’ opposition to the Chinese Communist Party had moved them to contribute the legal maximum, and a relative of a third donor indicated that the person was a follower of Guo.
“I see him want to take down CCP,” said Xuehong Zhang of Plano, Texas, who identified herself as a Chinese immigrant and said she had learned about Santos on Gettr, though she did not mention Guo. “I just want to take down CCP.”
Others said they found Santos’ conservative voting record appealing, and were stirred to support him by what they viewed as hypocritical attacks.
“You’ve got the dirtiest of the dirty calling him dirty. That’s hypocrisy,” said Ronald Bucina of Prospect, Tennessee, who gave $50. “They’ve stolen more money than George Santos was ever going to dream of stealing.”
Charles Scheferston, a retired New York City detective who lives in Rockville Centre, New York, and also gave $50, said Santos was “probably guilty” and had lied “like crazy,” but that he liked his policy stances. “You cannot lie about a voting record,” he said.
Not everyone contributed in earnest.
Michael Sommer, a 29-year-old teacher in Atlanta, said he spent $32.95 on a Santos for Congress T-shirt “for a joke.”
Brad Mason of Pittsburgh, donated $1. “I thought it would be really funny to request the refund,” he said. “And it was amazing for me.”
Stockpiling cash could prove unusually important for Republican incumbents this year if New York is forced to redraw its congressional districts. An appeals court on Thursday ordered a redraw that could make a handful of seats virtually unwinnable for Republican incumbents. The case will be appealed.
Santos announced his reelection campaign in April, even as local Republican officials and party committees said they would not support him. The next month, he was indicted on 13 felony counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.
He has pleaded not guilty, but the case further diminished his support from House Republican leadership. Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California told Fox News last month that the party planned to “keep that seat with another Republican.”
Santos’ fundraising totals were an improvement over what he took in during the first quarter of the year, when his campaign raised just $5,300.
His expenses were fairly limited outside his loan repayment. Though he paid legal and consulting fees, he did not report paying any staff or renting an office.