George Santos listed a number of people in Congress he claims have committed fraud even as he’s in talks for a plea deal after he was indicted on 23 charges including various kinds of fraud.
The ousted ex-congressman appeared for an interview with the comedian and writer Ziwe, broadcast on her YouTube channel on Monday.
“You’re the only congressman to be expelled without a conviction. Is it safe to say you didn’t come to the Capitol to make friends?” she asked Mr Santos.
“I wasn’t there to play nice, I was there to expose rot and corruption, and I did,” Mr Santos said. “And I’m going to continue to do it, Republicans and Democrats alike – swampy slamming people selling this country down a river.”
“I would say that you are a messy b**** that lives for drama,” the comedian told Mr Santos.
“You can call me a messy b****. I've been called worse, but I'll take it,” the serial fabulist and Cameo star said. “Can you make a pin and mail it to me? I will wear your messy b**** pin any day.”
“I will send you a gift as long as you declare it on your taxes,” Ziwe said.
“Definitely – I like paying taxes,” the 35-year-old claimed.
“Who else in Congress is committing fraud?” Ziwe asked.
“They’re all frauds – if you were to put them all under the same scrutiny I was put under, you would have to vacate the whole goddamn building,” Mr Santos said.
Ziwe then began naming other members, asking if they had committed fraud, with Mr Santos saying no to Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.
Mr Santos said former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is guilty of fraud, making the same unsubstantiated claim about Sen Lindsey Graham, and Rep Dan Goldman.
He said the same about Sen Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who’s facing an extensive indictment on charges of being a foreign agent for Egypt and allegedly taking bribes. Mr Menendez has rejected all allegations of wrongdoing.
Regarding Mr Goldman, he said, “he doesn’t pay his rent ... Dan is owing $180,000 worth of rent right now on his $45,000 monthly rent, which is what most Americans f****** make a year. You let that f****** sink in”.
The Independent has reached out to the offices of Mr Graham, Mr Goldman, and Mr McCarthy for comment.
In May, Mr Santos was charged with 13 charges in a Long Island federal court and in October, a superseding indictment listing 23 counts was filed. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He was ousted from the House after an Ethics Committee report stated that there was “substantial evidence” that he had “knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House”.
