George Santos tries to explain why he made himself campaign treasurer
Washington DC - New York Representative George Santos took to Twitter to explain his bizarre decision to appoint himself treasurer of his own campaign.
On Friday, the beleaguered congressman filed papers with the Federal Election Commission naming himself in the position, amid long-standing confusion surrounding the identity of his treasurer.
The person officially registered in that role was a certain Andrew Olson, whom no one seemed to personally know, nor be able to reach.
Briefly, a person named Thomas Datwyler was also named in filings with the FEC, but he categorically insisted that he wasn't employed by Santos.
Now, the indicted representative is insisting there's nothing to see here.
In a Twitter thread titled "Debunking the nonsense," he explained why he had no choice but to make himself campaign treasurer.
Santos says he has a new campaign treasurer
"On Friday, May 19, I was properly notified by my campaign’s then Treasurer, Mr. Andrew Olson, of his resignation. I appreciate the work Andrew and his team have done for the campaign and appreciate his willingness to ensure a smooth transition," Santos tweeted.
"To ensure compliance, upon the resignation, I was named as Treasurer. A treasurer must be appointed within ten (10) days of the resignation of the previous treasurer."
Stating his intent "to operate above reproach," Santos announced that he had already hired a new treasurer, who will be registered with the FEC.
The explanation would be believable enough, had Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog, not lodged an official complaint with the FEC, claiming that Olson doesn't actually exist.
It's not yet clear who Santos' new treasurer is, but assuming it's a real person, they will have to deal with a candidate currently fighting battles on multiple fronts.
Aside from federal charges of wire fraud and theft, Santos is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and faces an attempt to kick him out of Congress.
Cover photo: REUTERS