- Rep. George Santos' campaign has refunded more money this year than it received, FEC filings show.
- His campaign refunded just over $8,000 — $3,000 more than it got in donor contributions in Q1 2023.
Rep. George Santos' campaign has refunded more money this year than it received in donor contributions, indicating a floundering fundraising campaign for the disgraced congressman, Federal Election Commission filings show.
The most recent financial disclosures, which were filed over the weekend, reveal that Santos' campaign received just $5,333.26 in individual contributions in the first quarter of 2023.
But in the same period the campaign refunded $8,352.78 to at least four individuals, resulting in a loss of $3,019.52.
With close to $10,000 spent on operating expenditures, the campaign had just $25,096.40 in cash at the end of the quarter.
The filings also showed that the campaign had $715,000 in debts and obligations, owing the money to Santos himself.
"I don't think I've ever seen a worse report for an incumbent member of Congress," said Brett Kappel, a leading campaign-finance lawyer, per The New York Times.
Of the money raised by the campaign, only one donor is named in the filings — Sacha Basin, who is listed as living at an address in New York.
There is no online record for an individual with that exact name, although another person called Sacha Mobarak is listed at that address.
Mobarak did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Four names are listed as receiving refunds — Cindy Gross, Robert Mangi, Mayra Ruiz, and Thomas Zmich — though others are not named.
Zmich, a former House candidate, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but told The Times that he received the money for covering a canceled bus trip on the day of Santos' inauguration.
According to Politico, such paltry fundraising figures are extremely rare, and would suggest that a candidate has no actual donor support, or is not seriously eyeing a reelection bid.
Despite facing multiple calls to resign over his elaborate lies, Santos filed paperwork for a 2024 reelection bid last month. This was a formality that allows him to continue to raise and spend money.
Santos is expected to announce his reelection campaign on Monday, with a person close to the congressman telling the New York Post that he expects to raise "$500,000 to $750,000 in the second quarter of 2023."
Santos has previously tried to blame his campaign finance issues on his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, who resigned in January after news outlets reported a string of financial peculiarities.
The most recent filings were signed by a new treasurer, Andrew Olsen, who does not appear to have been compensated for his work this quarter, per the financial disclosures.
The filings also don't show payments to any lawyers, despite ongoing ethics and criminal investigations.
Santos' office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.