The former New York lawmaker-slash-fabulist George Santos said he has found a new stream of income that’s much more lucrative than working in Congress: selling fan videos on the app Cameo.
Mr Santos divulged his new salary on The Point with Marcia Kramer on Sunday: “I can tell you that by the end of this week—that is actually factual—I will have made more money in seven days than I would have made [in] an entire year in Congress.”
That salary is $174,000 per year, Kramer explained, asking: “So you’re saying that, in a week, you will make that salary?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Santos replied.
An insider told Page Six just how much he was making: “He took 140 orders yesterday at $599 per order” for Cameo videos. But the numbers haven’t been fact-checked, the source added, “Now, it’s George telling people this, so…”
The outlet tabulated that, if those numbers are accurate, Mr Santos is making $83,860 per day.
Kramer pointed out that he apparently started charging fans $75 per video, but has now upped the price.
Mr Santos told Kramer that the idea for him to make Cameo videos came from a former staffer of California Rep Kevin McCarthy.
“He reached out and says, ‘George, you have such a large personality, people love you,’” Mr Santos told Kramer. “You should just open a Cameo. I’m like, what’s a Cameo? So I looked into it.”
Even Sen John Fetterman asked Mr Santos to make a video for embattled New Jersey Sen Bob Menendez. “I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems,” he tweeted. “So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice.”
The former congressman was expelled from the House earlier this month. He is facing serious criminal charges, accusing him of stealing campaign contributors’ identities to make credit card purchases, wire fraud, making false statements to Congress, among others.
His trial is expected to begin on 9 September 2024.
