As George Santos reportedly faces an FBI investigation into allegations that he absconded with the proceeds from a GoFundMe account meant for a veteran’s dying dog, the embattled New York congressman is being accused of even more shady transactions while running a supposed animal charity.
According to a new report on Santos’ charity, Friends of Pets United, the organization has a questionable past starting with the fact that it is not registered as a non-profit nor did it save over 2,500 animals as Santos claimed on its website. Friends of Pet United also had an issue with pet owners not receiving GoFundMe proceeds raised on their behalf. (Sound familiar?)
Via The New York Times:
Regina Spadavecchia, who runs the Adore-a-Bullie Paws and Claws rescue in the Bronx, said that Mr. Santos boasted of his fund-raising prowess, saying he was a financial money manager with connections. In reality, he had worked for a Turkey-based hospitality technology company, eventually moving on to work at a small company that organized conferences for investors and fund managers.
But Mr. Santos never fully followed through on his promises, Ms. Spadavecchia said, sending her around $400 instead of the thousands of dollars he had suggested. She decided to cut ties with him.
“If you’re doing fund-raising in my name, and you’re claiming you can make a couple of thousand, and you’re sending me $400, then something’s off,” Ms. Spadavecchia said. “You’re either boasting about stuff you can’t do, or you’re keeping money on the side. I don’t know.”
In one damning incident, Santos allegedly instructed a pet store owner to make a check out to “Anthony Devolder” — an alias Santos used at the time — instead of “Friends of Pets United” during a charity drive. When the owner refused, his bank records showed that Santos crossed out the charity name and added his alias as the payee anyway.
When reached for comment by the Times, Santos’ lawyer refused to answer questions about Friends of Pets United due to “pending investigations.”
(Via The New York Times)