Octopus Overlords

Because it's only going to get deeper for this clown.

BI

A fundraiser for Rep. George Santos allegedly posed as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff in a bid to fundraise money from wealthy donors, according to CNBC.

Sam Miele, who worked for Santos' campaign, is said to have impersonated Dan Meyer, who has served as McCarthy's chief of staff since 2019, in phone calls to donors during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, people familiar with the matter said, per CNBC.

The Washington Times was the first to report the claim of impersonation last month, when it said that the fundraiser allegedly posing as Meyer also used a fake email address to send follow-up emails to donors.

I listened to the NYT piece on Santos from The Daily earlier this week. Fascinating. I really, really want to know where the money is coming from that funded his “business” and his campaign.

Also, not to get malchior agitated, but the NYT kinda sorta white washed its culpability in not actually taking a look at who the hell Santos was before the election. They fumbled into it after he got elected when they tried to pull together a traditional profile on him and all his info turned up bad. They admit that they could have found out all of this earlier — like before the clown was elected — but they (and all other media outlets apparently) just relied on opposition research from the Dems. Worse, though, is the fact that the oppo research called out a number of inconsistencies and downright lies from Santos about his background, but because the oppo research paper led with his hardline policy positions (e.g., firmly against abortion and gun control), the NYT team didn’t pay it any mind.

Uh, bad job guys. Very bad job.

Life comes at you fast.



If anything, it's in the GOP's interest to usher him into obscurity before details about the money and other connections come out.

Kurth wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 12:52 pm I listened to the NYT piece on Santos from The Daily earlier this week. Fascinating. I really, really want to know where the money is coming from that funded his “business” and his campaign.

Also, not to get malchior agitated, but the NYT kinda sorta white washed its culpability in not actually taking a look at who the hell Santos was before the election.

Yeah worse one of their editors breezily blamed their own failure on Newsday at one point. Newsday's circulation is under 100K at this point. NYT is 8-10 times that print and has millions of digital subscribers. Ridiculous.

They fumbled into it after he got elected when they tried to pull together a traditional profile on him and all his info turned up bad. They admit that they could have found out all of this earlier — like before the clown was elected — but they (and all other media outlets apparently) just relied on opposition research from the Dems. Worse, though, is the fact that the oppo research called out a number of inconsistencies and downright lies from Santos about his background, but because the oppo research paper led with his hardline policy positions (e.g., firmly against abortion and gun control), the NYT team didn’t pay it any mind.

Well the oppo research found some inconsistencies around his living situation but they didn't dig into the basics such as education and job history. I think it is fair to say that many Congressperson's aren't being vetted like they used to or need to.

Uh, bad job guys. Very bad job.

It exposes that the NYT like other media organizations has slimmed down their newsroom to the bone and 'outsourced' investigative work to 'feeds' of information that no longer exist. Local papers? Dead or consolidated away intentionally by "Conservative" media outlets. Local radio? Same thing but worse. Government reports? A maze of red tape and slow to respond FOIA processes. Even where they exist many state FOIA processes don't work. In NY it is called FOIL and it's fairly well known it is gummed up.

Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 12:59 pmIf anything, it's in the GOP's interest to usher him into obscurity before details about the money and other connections come out.

Many want him out of the way for the weave of corruption reasons but McCarthy wants his vote for the moment. My gut is that Santos hangs in there up and until he potentially gets indicted. But it's so hard to tell how things are going to roll nowadays. The system is so warped that it is very unpredictable and so transactionally focused on the needs of the moment.

Another sign of McCarthy's weakness emerged today when we found out that he only said that Santos shouldn't be given "top" committee assignments.

NBC News

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that embattled freshman GOP Rep. George Santos of New York, who is facing growing calls to resign after he admitted having fabricated much of his personal biography, should not be seated on any top committees.

"No," McCarthy, R-Calif., said emphatically as he headed into a GOP Steering Committee meeting where members were deciding which colleagues should serve on certain committees.

Although Democrats and some Republicans have said Santos should not get any committee assignments at all, McCarthy confirmed later in the day that he would serve on at least one.

As speaker, McCarthy leads the influential steering panel.

Put him on the ‘Truth in Politics’ Committee and call it a day (while simultaneously pissing off The Onion writers by pre-empting their next headline article).

Santos money source? Potentially a Russian oligarch. You can't make this shit up. Of course there are some links to the Mueller investigation, Trump and Kushner businesses as well. Not sure how strong they are or whether they'll hold up but no wonder everyone is trying to protect Santos.

Edit: Note to those not read in - Harbor City Capital is the company where Santos worked that is alleged to actually have been a Ponzi scheme. It's still oh so strange that a guy that defaulted on a Discover card for ~$2K eventually suddenly had millions of dollars in contracts.

George Santos, the freshman Republican congressman from New York who lied about his biography, has deeper ties than previously known to a businessman who cultivated close links with a onetime Trump confidant and who is the cousin of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, according to video footage and court documents.

Andrew Intrater and his wife each gave the maximum $5,800 to Santos’ main campaign committee and tens of thousands more since 2020 to committees linked to him, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Intrater’s cousin is Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. government for his role in the Russian energy industry.

The relationship between Santos and Intrater goes beyond campaign contributions, according to a statement made privately by Santos in 2020 and a court filing the following year in a lawsuit brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission against a Florida-based investment firm, Harbor City Capital, where Santos worked for more than a year.

Until he becomes a liability to the House GOP's agenda, he'll remain exactly where he is, happily voting yes on whatever trash they propose.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 4:43 pm Until he becomes a liability to the House GOP's agenda, he'll remain exactly where he is, happily voting yes on whatever trash they propose.

He's already a liability. They don't want him spilling to the Feds about all the bottomless grift and pool of traitors in the GOP. It is starting to look like a criminal syndicate as we start to peel it apart.

I dunno. He strikes me as someone smart enough to keep whatever side-hustle he has going on while benefiting from his new position. Sure, he might not be able to rub elbows with the real power grifters in the House, but I really believe as long as he keeps to himself and votes like he's told they aren't going to do anything about it.

It's already been made abundantly clear - there's no laws against what he did and what's a little dark money between friends? It's not like he's going to be the guy that's investigated over campaign finance violations.

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 4:46 pm He's already a liability Hostage Taker

Everything after that remains to be seen and then ignored.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 4:54 pm I dunno. He strikes me as someone smart enough to keep whatever side-hustle he has going on while benefiting from his new position. Sure, he might not be able to rub elbows with the real power grifters in the House, but I really believe as long as he keeps to himself and votes like he's told they aren't going to do anything about it.

What I'm getting at is that he is easier for them to manage if they keep him in seat and a member of Congress. It gives him some armor from the investigations that might go up another level and implicate others if there is indeed an actual web out there. If he resigns he is just another private citizen. And it doesn't hurt that the protection comes at the cost of loyalty in the caucus.

It's already been made abundantly clear - there's no laws against what he did and what's a little dark money between friends?

FWIW despite protestations otherwise from people we absolutely shouldn't believe it sounds like he might have committed actual crimes up to and including involvement in the Ponzi scheme.

It's not like he's going to be the guy that's investigated over campaign finance violations.

The reports are that there are multiple agencies looking at his finances as we speak. Whether it goes anywhere is a different story.

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 5:00 pm FWIW despite protestations otherwise from people we absolutely shouldn't believe it sounds like he might have committed actual crimes up to and including involvement in the Ponzi scheme.

...

The reports are that there are multiple agencies looking at his finances as we speak. Whether it goes anywhere is a different story.

His Wiki page sure makes it sound that way but then how much is that to be trusted. Aliases to create companies, personalities created to create images. Monies and wealth and campaign contributions appearing from nowhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Santos

The longest section is literally

Legal issues
Campaign finance issues

And then if all of this is true and known, he's still a sitting member of the House with popular vote from his district.

One investigative reporter pulled up a disclosure where he made dozens of purchases 1 cent short of the legally required threshold for receipts ($200). I have no doubts there are problems there but I have diminishing faith that our system can deal with it anymore. Heck we're about to have an actual Congressional committee to dig into current investigations against the people involved about to spin up.

We need to forget about the politically motivated attacks on George Santos and focus on the real problems of this country namely the evil Hunter Biden, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Santos is on the Small Business and Science committees in the House? We're not even sure what his real name is and he has two committee appointments. Amazing.

Every time I see the thread title, I think it's about his father, George Soros.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Tue Jan 10, 2023 9:36 pm Because it's only going to get deeper for this clown.

Bonus points for all the Rubes.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:52 pm Every time I see the thread title, I think it's about his father, George Soros.

The famous French post-Impressionist artist?

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 8:48 pm Santos is on the Small Business and Science committees in the House? We're not even sure what his real name is and he has two committee appointments. Amazing.

He's the only sitting member of Congress to have won Nobel Prizes in both Economics and Physics, so at least he's well qualified for those committees.

People are having fun.

This is so tragic for the GOP. They finally embrace someone from the LGBQT community...and they're a sociopath. McCarthy's running around DC screaming, "Get me a good gay!".

I'm waiting to see if a reputable news outlet picks it up, but I'm seeing reports online that someone released another name Santos used - his drag queen identity in Brazil. There are apparently photos. Given the GOP's hardline position on all things drag, if it's true he's definitely done for. Everything else is forgivable, but not being a former drag queen.

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 3:14 pm This is so tragic for the GOP. They finally embrace someone from the LGBQT community...and they're a sociopath. McCarthy's running around DC screaming, "Get me a good gay!".

The tough part is finding some Republicans that aren't sociopaths in the first place.

Apparently it's a big deal. I go look up what you are talking about. A name pops up. I type k-i into google and it autofills kitara ravache

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 3:19 pm I'm waiting to see if a reputable news outlet picks it up, but I'm seeing reports online that someone released another name Santos used - his drag queen identity in Brazil. There are apparently photos. Given the GOP's hardline position on all things drag, if it's true he's definitely done for. Everything else is forgivable, but not being a former drag queen.

I did not have “George Santos was a Brazilian drag queen named Kitara” on my bingo card. From a MSNBC reporter:



And before anyone says it, no there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a Brazilian drag queen. Yes, there’s something very wrong about being a Brazilian drag queen who lies about it while fully supporting the demonization and persecution of others.

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 5:00 pm And before anyone says it, no there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a Brazilian drag queen. Yes, there’s something very wrong about being a Brazilian drag queen who lies about it while fully supporting the demonization and persecution of others.

And belonging in the leadership of a party that refers to drag queens as groomers and push the belief that part of drag is pedophilia and pushing impressionable children in to becoming gay. I can't speak for the national platform but it was part of the GOP platform in 2022 in Michigan and used to attack pretty much every Democratic candidate here. It was literally the most common political ad this past season.

He is a DEEP undercover plant by the deep state to transvesterize the GOP.

The message has to be the Republicans are so corrupt and power-hungry, they’ll elect anyone. They couldn’t even care if their party elite are child rapists and transvestites, let alone Russian spies, insurrectionists, racists, tax cheats, fraudulent scammers, thieves and other criminals.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:33 pm The message has to be the Republicans are so corrupt and power-hungry, they’ll elect anyone. They couldn’t even care if their party elite are child rapists and transvestites, let alone Russian spies, insurrectionists, racists, tax cheats, fraudulent scammers, thieves and other criminals.

Don't you mean they are the open minded power that embraces everyone, while the socialist left weaponizes division among or against gender identification, expressed sexual identity, nationality, bipartisinism, ethnicity, the fiscally responsible and creative, entrepreneurs, the honorable, and persecuted. These binds and religious expression are the things America was founded on.

LOL

The Republican staffer who proposes that spin gets branded a RINO and becomes the next target on FOX News.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:33 pm They couldn’t even care if their party elite are child rapists and transvestites, let alone Russian spies, insurrectionists, racists, tax cheats, fraudulent scammers, thieves and other criminals.

One of these things is not like the others.

I have no problem with transvestites but the online Q contingent will. Let the face eating leopards at Q eat the faces of Republicans.

A transvestite running as a Republican national leader is kinda the ultimate drag queen performance.

George Santos claims to have been shot dead on fifth avenue by Donald Trump.

Well, no, actually he claims to have been mugged on 5th avenue, a block away from the Trump Tower, but given the rate of lies he's gone through, I figure it won't take him long to start claiming he got shot, right?

Comedy Gold.
First thing I've laughed at from SNL in quite awhile.

I can't even laugh at that. This is absolute validation that we're in the Golden Age of Fraud.

The fact that he's not blasted into obscurity yesterday is all you need to know.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:05 pm I can't even laugh at that. This is absolute validation that we're in the Golden Age of Fraud.

The fact that he's not blasted into obscurity yesterday is all you need to know.

Yeah, I probably smiled when I watched it (and they threw him into a lot of the skits during that episode) but it was definitely a wry smile, caused as much by amusement as embarrassment and anger.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 3:19 pm I'm waiting to see if a reputable news outlet picks it up, but I'm seeing reports online that someone released another name Santos used - his drag queen identity in Brazil. There are apparently photos. Given the GOP's hardline position on all things drag, if it's true he's definitely done for. Everything else is forgivable, but not being a former drag queen.

Even if the drag thing proves true (which I think is looking more and more likely), I'm not so sure Santos is done for. I don't think the GOP has lines. Like, any. At all. There's literally nothing that is truly disqualifying if it helps the GOP stay in power.