The Blubber

Representative George Santos spent campaign funds on Botox treatments, designer goods, OnlyFans, and Atlantic City trips. per the House Ethics Committee.

The House Ethics Committee asserted the discovery of "substantial evidence" pointing to misconduct by the freshman congressman, implicating him in the alleged misuse of campaign funds for personal purposes. These purported misuses included expenditures on Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions, and acquisitions from renowned French retailers Sephora and Hermès.

This isn't the first instance of Santos facing accusations related to the misappropriation of campaign finances. Earlier this year, he was slapped with a 23-count federal indictment, painting a similar narrative featuring an array of theft and fraud charges stemming from his congressional campaign. Santos has maintained his innocence, entering a not guilty plea to each criminal charge, with the trial pending.

Further allegations outlined in the House Ethics Committee report revolve around a substantial $50,000 campaign donation that allegedly found its way into Santos' personal accounts. These funds, according to the committee, were purportedly used to "pay down personal credit card bills and other debt" and for unrelated purchases, including transactions on OnlyFans, a subscription-based social media platform predominantly known for adult content.

The committee's findings also suggest that the campaign donation financed various expenses such as meals, parking, purchases from Sephora, and, notably, a hefty $4,127.80 acquisition from the luxury brand Hermès, as detailed in the House Ethics report.

The report delves into the extensive travel expenses incurred by Santos' campaign, covering costs associated with flights, hotels, Ubers, and meals. Witnesses linked to the campaign provided conflicting testimonies regarding the lawmaker's travel outside his district. While one witness stated that only two out-of-state trips occurred during the campaign, specifically to Washington, D.C., and Florida, others asserted that Santos traveled as frequently as "once per month."

In addition to scrutinizing travel expenses, the committee identified specific expenditures that raise concerns about potential personal use of campaign funds. These include a $2,281.52 spending spree at resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey, spanning from July 23 to July 24, 2022; a $1,400 transaction at Virtual Skin Spa in Jericho, New York, in July 2022; and a $225 payment at CityMD urgent care in Huntington, New York, in August 2022.