The most important secret George Santos is keeping

[Nevilledog]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/03/opinions/george-santos-campaign-finances-secret-ghitis/index.html


CNN
—
The continuing drama surrounding Republican Rep. George Santos of New York, whose self-constructed identity of lies is being dismantled piece by piece by journalists, is an irresistible spectacle — an odd concoction of amusing and infuriating.

But there’s one particularly disturbing aspect that points to a dangerous weakness in American democracy: Who paid for Santos’ election campaign? In other words, who has the most influence over the congressman?

The fact that it is so difficult to track down the source of this fantasist’s support reaffirms something that democracy funding experts have been telling us for years: Corrupt players are taking advantage of how democracy is financed in America.

Candidates need a lot of money, and it’s much too easy to hide the source of donations. In the past couple of years, people from other nations with nefarious agendas have been convicted of illegally financing campaigns at the state and federal level, but the problem has not been resolved.

*snip*

[Mr. Evil]

7. I sense you're being kind in you statement.

Or, as I channel my inner Yoda, Anger I sense.

[Laha]

24. My first thought too

I was still young and only just barely becoming aware of politics at the time, but I still knew it would result in a fucking horror show. And here we are.

*Second post deleted because I accidently posted twice.

[DENVERPOPS]

35. Laha,

My immediate first thought also................Which opened the door to all the rest of the Republican Political Shit Show.

All the Uber, Uber rich could donate obscene amounts of money to candidates, same for every last Fascist Corporation, topped off with the grand slam of Russian Oligarchs endless billions filtered thru the NRA to Republican Politicians at all levels of Government.

We were all idealistically pushing for Campaign Finance Reform, and they were all pushing to corrupt our voting in oh so many devious ways..........Starting with Citizens's United.............

What DEM will step up and lead the charge of the Dems.......that is the Zillion Dollar Question.......I see no one on the horizon.
I look towards the future and to the 2024 presidential election and just see a big question mark for the Dems........
IMO, Biden needs to appoint Harris to some position where she can do the most good right now, appoint some outstanding Dem to the VP position, and get his/her face in front of the people 24/7. Get some confidence in the person from all the Dems. Get the Dem House and Senate on the same page so that there isn't this constant back and forth bullshit among, but show them all as being committed to the President and His newly appointed VP.............I would worry Harris wouldn't go along considering her ego, even if it was for the good of the Democrat party, and the good of the nation forever more.........

If these "New" Republicans ever corruptly get back in power, it is all over, forever.

WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE ANYTHING EVEN FAINTLY RESEMBLING A DEMOCRACY, BUT INSTEAD THEY WILL INSTALL WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING NON-STOP ON CREATING FOR OVER 40+ YEARS..........A CORPORATE FASCIST TYRANNY. Our beloved U.S.of A. will be 1% of the Uber Rich citizens, crowded into the upper-upper class. and the other 99% of the citizens occupying the lower-lower class. Serfs and Peasants.

I tell Dems that I talk to that FASCISM, in it's most simple definition, is the merger of corporations and government, and they look at me like I am as crazy as the infamous Mad Hatter......

We need a top notch Dem Leader, We critically need to "situate"someone in the VP Slot who could take over from Biden when the time comes....

Short of that, the rest doesn't matter. Period......

[bucolic_frolic]

2. My bet's on libertarian donors

Dissolving any semblance of government by making it appear ridiculous must be their goal?

[The Roux Comes First]

3. That 1886 Santa Clara/Southern Pacific RR Case and the Absurd (Mistaken) Embrace of a Headnote,

Coupled with the outrageous Citizens United case have ever-so-much to answer for here.

[elleng]

4. *The decision famously implied that equal protection laws provided by the Fourteenth Amendment

applied to corporations, but the opinion did not explicitly state this.'

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/118us394

[Evolve Dammit]

5. The AR-15 lapel pin points to NRA, Russia?

[Mr. Evil]

8. The AR-15 lapel pin is representative of their god.

Their being and their god respects power. That's why they love and worship guns... especially the AR-15. They can't tolerate a person dressed in drag or a costume reading a children's story to children but, having a child's head literally exploded from their body doesn't bother them in the least.

That tells you all we need to know about them.

[calimary]

9. It makes them feel powerful when their physical and mental capabilities aren't enough.

That’s how it strikes me, anyway.

[Eyeball_Kid]

13. it's more "own the libs" BS. Third-graders are in Congress-- Petulant babies. n/t

[Evolve Dammit]

16. Amen

[hadEnuf]

11. It identifies them as being pivotal in the failed 1/6 coup. And willing participants in future coups

n/t

[Evolve Dammit]

17. sounds right

[hadEnuf]

22. Yup

I would not be surprised in the least. The right is all about making secret signs and dog whistles.

[Captain Zero]

31. NRA. INTERESTING. RUSSIA. DANGEROUS.

Still.

[certainot]

6. and i can make the case that russia has been using RW radio since 2008 - leading the entire GOP

at $1000/hr x 1200 radio stations x 15 hrs a day that's $90M/week or almost $5Bil/year, and that's free for them.

and now like in 2011 putin will use it again to push debt default based on a month of urging from limbaugh in 2011.

[housecat]

15. sounnds about right

[ToxMarz]

10. A very strange case indeed. Much of what he was doing looked like straight up money laundering

I wonder if there was no agenda or concern over whether he was elected or not, just a quick money laundering scheme.

[Backseat Driver]

12. My popcorn stash has really diminished...

And to think that a headhunter actually requested permission to re-write DH's resume and submit it "immediately" without review by DH to a certain potential corporate employer. DH, of course, declined--who knows what lies were to be inserted? People used to get fired for infractions of truth on one's resume and/or CV! Oh well, IOKIYAR

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

14. agreed. Even Matt Gaetz asked him directly and Santos ducked the question

[dalton99a]

18. Kick

[mn9driver]

21. Santos is hiding who financed him. And he broke the law to do it.

It seems likely that the DOJ has him cold on using false names for donors. What is less clear is if the DOJ knows who are the real sources of that money.

I’m guessing that Santos will be offered a chance to reveal his real donors in exchange for a lighter sentence. It will be interesting to see if he takes the deal.

[spanone]

23. FOLLOW THE MONEY

[panader0]

26. I read it was a Russian oligarch. Here on DU I believe.

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/17/1149455727/washington-post-santos-is-linked-to-a-cousin-of-a-sanctioned-russian-oligarch

[UTUSN]

27. Two: 1) Who the F *is* he, & 2) where'd he get the self-esteem/gall?

[progressoid]

28. Why hasn't the DOJ done anything yet. The FCC has already said that he

"knowingly and willfully making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation to a federal government agency, including the Federal Election Commission, is punishable" under federal law,"

So do something about it!

[SunSeeker]

29. Someone gave him that $700k. Follow the money. 💰

But for that $700k, he'd still be living on his sister's couch.

[VGNonly]

30. Another RW freak show,

reminds me of Madison Cawthorn

[yardwork]

32. There seems to be a plan to find young, amoral kids and get them elected.

Santos is a long-time con artist. Cawthorn is a confused, egotistical kid. Others include Lauren Boebert, etc. They've been identified by some group and funded to win elections. Then they vote as instructed.

Cawthorn was too unstable and got rejected by the matrix.

[OMGWTF]

33. Is he a US citizen?

[Historic NY]

34. The perennial GOP Campaign bookkeeper knows

funny how many sets of reports she made. Pretty easy to move funds on paper.

[Botany]

36. Who paid for Santos' election campaign?

Oleg Deripaska via his nephew. I read this on the internet so it has to be true.

Oleg Deripaska was also the one paying of FBI agent McGonigal too.

Oleg Deripaska was also indicted by Mueller but Barr had that indictment ... he was indicted for screwing
with the American elections in 2016.

George Santos aka Tony DeVolder is a Russian backed chaos agent and he is doing his job when he tells
really big lies such as a short fat guy he was a star volleyball player because that causes chaos.