George Santos raises $130,000 but trails challengers
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Rep. George Santos. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images.
Rep. George Santos' (R-N.Y.) campaign is finally raising money, bringing in just over $130,000 in the last three months and spending most of it paying off debts he owes himself from his last campaign.
Why it matters: It's a dire position for the embattled Long Island freshman, and it pales in comparison to what some of his competitors have raised.
Driving the news: Santos' quarterly filing to the Federal Election Commission on Friday showed he brought in $133,000 in contributions between April and June, but had just $55,000 in cash on hand.
- That's because he spent $85,000 this quarter paying off debt stemming from personal loans he reported making to his 2020 campaign, though he still had $530,000 in unpaid debt as of July.
- Those personal loans have sparked scrutiny of his campaign finances, given revelations that he fabricated his resume and personal wealth.
By the numbers: Santos' second quarter haul, which comes on the heels of him filing to run for reelection, dwarfs the $5,300 he raised in the first three months of this year.
- Veteran and business executive Kellen Curry, who is challenging Santos in the Republican primary, said he brought in more than $200,000.
- Nonprofit founder Zak Malamed, a Democrat who launched his campaign halfway through the quarter, announced a $417,000 haul.
What we're watching: Whether Santos makes it to the election is a real question.
- He is under federal indictment on 13 criminal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and lying to Congress. Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
- He also faces an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has said will determine whether he remains in Congress.
