Rep. Santos Rebuts Allegations: 'I've Operated Honestly'

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., denied a string of allegations against him in a quick TV interview Friday, explaining that his campaign has "operated honestly" over the last year, dating back to Santos' controversial campaign to win a congressional seat in New York.

Since getting elected in November, Santos has had to deal with numerous accusations of embellishing his personal accomplishments and professional résumé — some items in which the 34-year-old congressman has publicly acknowledged.

Here are excerpts from Santos' TV interview with Fox 5 in New York City:

• When pressed to explain a recent report from The New York Times alleging that Santos' campaign couldn't account for $365,000 in spending, the freshman congressman said, "Is that a new thing? I've never heard that figure."
• Santos was asked about the report of him loaning approximately $705,000 to his own campaign: The funds "were 100% legitimately my money — originated from my business practices," before adding that he would "continue to not understand why there's this enormous inquisition, an inquiry into my business practices and the legitimacy of it. I've operated honestly."
• A Politico piece detailed a "stunning" number of $199.99 transactions coming out of Santos' campaign — or one cent less than the $200 threshold requiring congressional receipts. Santos responded, "I can't speak for what the fiduciary and the campaign did or didn't do — if there were errors committed. Obviously, these are now all being looked into, and no one more than me wants those rectified if there's any discrepancy."
• When describing his relationship with other congressional members, and whether the allegations of wrongdoing would hurt his work inside the Capitol, Santos countered with, "I have many allies in Congress, and we've done fantastic work together."
• The New York lawmaker said he plans to introduce several "district-focused" bills in the next session of Congress.
• Also, Santos revealed that he hasn't "personally" spoken to any federal agencies about any conduct complaints. Instead, his attorneys have been handling anything in that realm.
• Finally, when pressed if he plans to pursue reelection in 2024, Santos stated, "I don't know yet."

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