Fogbow

A campaign fundraiser for indicted US Rep. George Santos has been charged for allegedly impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide to solicit contributions for the New York Republican’s campaign in 2021, according to court documents.

A federal grand jury in Brooklyn indicted Samuel Miele, who worked for the Santos campaign during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, on four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in the alleged scheme to defraud prospective donors, according to the indictment unsealed Wednesday.

Miele allegedly impersonated a top aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to a source familiar with the case.

He allegedly solicited contributions from more than a dozen potential contributors using the aide’s identity in phone and email communications, the indictment says.

Miele created an email account purporting to belong to the McCarthy staffer and sent fundraising solicitations signing the aide’s full name and title, prosecutors allege.

Santos’ fundraiser received a 15% commission on the campaign contributions he raised, the filing says.

According to the indictment, Miele wrote to Santos in a September 2022 letter, “Faking my identity to a big donor.”

“High risk, high reward in everything I do,” Miele also wrote.

In the United States, as an openly gay member of a party now targeting the type of show he once performed, Santos has backed hard-line policies that many in the LGBTQ community find discriminatory. He has supported a Florida law that bars educators from discussing sexual orientation in early elementary education. He has co-sponsored a bill that separates the sexes based on “immutable biological differences.” He has criticized same-sex parents, calling them the “flavor of the decade.”

But in his mother’s native Niterói, Santos actively participated in the budding gay rights movement, according to photos and people who knew him, and performed in drag more often than he has acknowledged. He attended the city’s first Pride parades, handed out pamphlets at events, befriended some of the city’s leading activists, and climbed nightclub stages to dance and lip sync in his drag persona, Kitara Ravache, promising to one day compete himself in Miss Brasil Gay.

Santos declined to be interviewed for this report. In a response to written questions, he issued a blanket denial. “None of what you are asking is true and I would advise that you have your facts straight and proof of what you write,” he said. He added, “My political opinion has always been consistent.”



Santos has rarely discussed his life in Brazil, where he spent significant time during his formative early-adult years. But a close examination of that past, including a review of court records and interviews with 25 Brazilian family members, former friends and acquaintances, helps bring into focus what amounts to the unpublished first chapter of the George Santos story.

Dear Judge Seybert:
The government respectfully writes in advance of the status conference
scheduled in this matter for September 7, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. to request that the Court
adjourn the status conference to October 27, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. and enter an order of
excludable delay pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 3161(h)(7)(A) from
September 7, 2023 through October 27, 2023. The defendant joins in this request.

George Santos @MrSantosNY wrote: Word of the day: Speculation

Meaning:

The forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.

Suranis wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 5:04 pm Surely Speaker McCarthy will bring his expulsion up to a vo... nope cant finish that.

northland10 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 9:44 pm

Suranis wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 5:04 pm Surely Speaker McCarthy will bring his expulsion up to a vo... nope cant finish that.

My mother would often ask me to look for her keys or something similar because, apparently, I have the ability to notice things, which makes them easier to find. I have had similar success looking for missing things around the church (more than one, I shouted out, "I found Jesus" when I found the baby Jesus figure for the creche).

McCarthy's missing backbone? Sorry. Lost cause. I'm no help there.

Gregg wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 10:00 pm

northland10 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 9:44 pm

Suranis wrote: ↑Tue Sep 05, 2023 5:04 pm Surely Speaker McCarthy will bring his expulsion up to a vo... nope cant finish that.

My mother would often ask me to look for her keys or something similar because, apparently, I have the ability to notice things, which makes them easier to find. I have had similar success looking for missing things around the church (more than one, I shouted out, "I found Jesus" when I found the baby Jesus figure for the creche).

McCarthy's missing backbone? Sorry. Lost cause. I'm no help there.

EmptyGee has it in the same box as his testicles.

Kendra wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:04 pm Erin Burnett on CNN's Out Front says she'll have Santos up shortly, she's on air now. Could be fun, remember when that Trump aid (forget his name) spent a whole day bouncing from one cable news show to the next? She made me a fan when she said sir, I believe I smell alcohol on your breath.

Kendra wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:04 pm Erin Burnett on CNN's Out Front says she'll have Santos up shortly, she's on air now. Could be fun, remember when that Trump aid (forget his name) spent a whole day bouncing from one cable news show to the next? She made me a fan when she said sir, I believe I smell alcohol on your breath.

johnpcapitalist wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 8:08 pm

Kendra wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:04 pm Erin Burnett on CNN's Out Front says she'll have Santos up shortly, she's on air now. Could be fun, remember when that Trump aid (forget his name) spent a whole day bouncing from one cable news show to the next? She made me a fan when she said sir, I believe I smell alcohol on your breath.

20 years ago, when Erin Burnett was doing the morning stock market show on CNBC with the late Mark Haines, I was a frequent guest to talk about some trend in the internet or software sector. Haines was a good personality and a smart enough guy. But Erin was by far the best interviewer of any of the anchors I dealt with. She was prepared and was able to put together good questions on the fly. I never felt like she was playing "gotcha," but she definitely kept me on my toes and I did much better interviews.

Burnett was the polar opposite of Maria Bartiromo, who was also still at CNBC. Maria was famous for being the first person to broadcast live from the NYSE floor, back when that was a busy place to be. She then had a reputation for being able to "get" interviews with CEO's, world leaders, etc. But she was dim and her mind was very slow. If I gave an answer that didn't match what she thought I would say, I could see the little wheels turning as she tried to come up with some sort of "gotcha" question to regain control of the interview. It was almost too easy to stay ahead of her. It's not hard to understand why she went around the bend and is just another far-right whack job, but I think she actually believes the crap she slings -- Tucker Carlson clearly doesn't.

Gregg wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 3:03 am I just can't wait for this guy to be in prison.

Dave from down under wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 3:10 am

Gregg wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 3:03 am I just can't wait for this guy to be in prison.

But according to him it won’t be prison, it will be a health resort…

Nahh… he’s going to flee rather than go to jail.

George Santos

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 3rd district

Incumbent

Assumed office January 3, 2023
Preceded by Thomas Suozzi
Personal details
Born July 22, 1988 (age 35)
Political party Republican

Criminal information

Criminal status Indicted (United States)
Plea bargain (Brazil)

Criminal charge 13 felonies

United States:
7 counts of wire fraud
3 counts of money laundering
1 count of theft of public funds
2 counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives

Brazil:
Check fraud