Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty
Last week, a former George Santos aide pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with a $500,000 campaign loan that the indicted congressman had entirely fabricated. But while that loan was fake, the money, eventually, became real.
According to a person with knowledge of the events, that fake $500,000 from March did in fact find its way into the campaign’s bank account. It just happened months later, as part of the $615,000 Santos loaned himself in four installments in September and October. Those payments are reflected on his campaign’s most recent filings—making good on something of an “IOU” to the campaign.
But even if Santos eventually delivered the money, legal experts told The Daily Beast he’s still in heaps of trouble.