Rep. George Santos' fundraiser indicted for identity theft

George Santos’ tenure as representative for New York’s 3rd Congressional District has accomplished nothing for his constituents, but the freshman does continue to attract controversy. He made headlines again on Aug. 16 when one of his campaign fundraisers was indicted for allegedly impersonating a top aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while attempting to get donations for Santos.

Samuel Miele, who had previously raised money for Santos’ 2020 and 2022 campaigns, faces four charges of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The 27-year-old fundraiser’s alleged crime is believed to have been motivated by financial gain, as Miele received a 15 percent commission for each donation solicited for the Santos campaign.

The six-page indictment against Miele also alleges the fundraiser sent a letter to Santos on Sept. 26, 2022, in which he admitted to faking his identity but claimed that it was “high risk, high reward.” The fundraiser allegedly claimed in emails and phone calls that he was Dan Meyer, McCarthy’s chief of staff while he was serving as house minority leader.

Miele was arraigned on the indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, pleading not guilty. He was released on bail, set at $150,000. Santos himself was not named in the indictment, and it appears that there is no evidence that he colluded with Miele in his scheme.

Democrats in the House of Representatives have lambasted McCarthy for his continued protection of Santos, with Daniel Goldman of New York referring to it as “pathetic and shameful.” While McCarthy did remove Santos from committee assignments, he has continued to protect the fabulist, refusing to remove Santos from the House despite continued protests from district residents.

Of course, that isn’t the only scandal that Santos has been involved in this week. The day before his fundraiser was indicted Santos made headlines for failing to file his annual financial disclosure report.

The filing is not normally considered an attention-grabbing detail, but Santos, who had already received a 90-day extension from the initial May 15 deadline, managed to do so. It is unclear why he failed to file on time.

The disclosures are normally received and reviewed by the House Committee on Ethics, to provide the public with their representatives’ financial information. Santos’ disclosure could help explain the source of the $700,000 he lent to his 2022 campaign, which he continues to claim was earned through his company the Devolder Organization.

However, federal prosecutors claim that Santos falsified his disclosures when he ran in 2020 and 2022, adding that the embattled congressman misrepresented his income from the Devolder Organization. For reference, the Devolder Organization allegedly acted as a paid go-between in business deals involving wealthy people.

Federal prosecutors claim that Santos also failed to report money he earned while defrauding the unemployment system during the coronavirus pandemic, allegedly taking more than $24,000 in unemployment benefits.

Despite this, the penalties for missing the filing date are less than a slap on the wrist. According to the New York Times, late fees for missing the deadline are $200, and only assessed if the report is filed over 30 days beyond the due date.

Santos isn’t the only New York representative to miss the deadline. Santos’ fellow first-term Republicans Anthony D’Esposito and Brandon Williams missed the initial May 15 deadline, although they have subsequently filed their disclosures.

While it is unclear what the future holds for Santos, if he fails to file his disclosure, he could face a civil penalty of over $71,000. His next court date is on Sept. 7 in Central Islip.