Questions are circulating after the Santos team made a change to its federal campaign finance fillings. Greg Cergol reports.
U.S. Rep. George Santos reminded reporters once again Wednesday that he would comment on his admitted lies, and the revolving allegations since, "when there are remarks to be made" -- and treated those staked outside his office to Chick-fil-A, a day after sustaining them with donuts which, by all accounts, were mainly eaten.
"No remarks for you right now," the Long Island Republican said when peppered with questions on his way to the elevator. "When there are remarks to be made regarding anything you want, we will make those remarks. I just hope you guys patiently wait, and in the interim, we will be in touch."
Asked specifically about newly surfaced claims Santos previously made -- that he was the target of an assassination attempt and mugged on Fifth Avenue in the middle of the day -- the embattled politician told reporters to look into it.
"You guys do such a good job at investigating," Santos said.
The NYPD said Tuesday it had no record of any mugging or any attempt on the now-congressman's life.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
The questions came in the wake of Rachel Maddow's Monday night show playing video of a Brazilian podcast Santos recorded in December. In Portuguese, he first claimed there was an attempt on his life. During the same podcast, he claimed muggers attacked him in August 2021 in the heart of midtown, on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, midday.
Santos said on the podcast that the robbers took his watch, briefcase and shoes.
Most New Yorkers said they didn't believe the robbery claim and recent polls show they want him to resign. Santos has admitted to embellishing his job credentials but said an ethics investigation won’t deter him from serving in office.
More Coverage
The cat and mouse with Santos has with reporters continued on Wednesday as new questions swirled about the source of his campaign money. The campaign recently changed its federal financial filings, with the change indicating that Santos did not personally loan his campaign $500,000.
However, the revision did not specify the source of the money.
"That is illegal under campaign finance law. You are not allowed to take money from somebody else and donate it to your campaign," said Democratic Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, one of a group of critics who gathered outside Santos's Queens office.
The group said any alleged lies about money could lead to Santos being removed from Congress — something even House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has now acknowledged.
"If for some way, when we go through [the Ethics Committee] that he has broken the law, then we will remove him. But it's not in my rule, I believe in the rule of law. A person is innocent until proven guilty," McCarthy said.
Santos would not discuess campaign finances Wednesday, but became very talkative when TMZ compared his story to the con man movie "Catch Me If You Can," starring Leonardo Di Caprio.
"I remind them of Leonardo Di Caprio? I’m flattered. I wish I had his bank account," Santos said.
