Two New Jersey veterans say now-Congressman George Santos promised to raise funds for lifesaving surgery for one of their dogs in 2016, then became elusive and took off with the money.
Santos, the embattled freshman Republican, faces growing pressure to resign after he lied and misrepresented his educational, work and family history. Santos has admitted to “embellishing” his resume, but has maintained he is “not a criminal.”
Rich Osthoff, a US Navy veteran, told CNN his pit bull Sapphire began developing a tumor in 2015, and it continued to grow in 2016. Osthoff said he was homeless, living in a tent, at the time after losing his job and house.
Osthoff’s mentor and friend Michael Boll, founder of New Jersey Veterans Network, told CNN he took Osthoff under his wing as part of the charity’s mentorship program and tried to get help for his dog.
Boll said a mutual friend connected the two veterans with Santos, who told them Santos was frequently involved with helping and rescuing animals. Boll and Osthoff both knew Santos by the name Anthony Devolder, they said.
Santos set up a GoFundMe for Osthoff’s pit bull, Sapphire, Boll said. A post from the Facebook profile of George Devolder links to a GoFundMe raising surgery funds for the dog.
“Sapphire is a 10 year old red nose pit bull that has been keeping this man company, she dose [sic] not deserve to die because of this tumor, she deserves to be treated and cared for,” the Facebook post reads in part. “Will you help this baby and her daddy stay together for a few more years? Does he not deserve to have her? Let’s all come together to help this family of two stay healthy!” the post says.
The fundraiser eventually raised around $3,000, according to Boll.
But things went south after Osthoff tried to access the GoFundMe money, he said.
Santos became uncooperative, according to Osthoff and Boll – at first saying Osthoff needed to take his dog to a veterinary clinic of Santos’ choice, then claiming another clinic wouldn’t accept Santos’ form of payment.
“I had to jump through hoops and do everything his way,” Osthoff told CNN. “He was just totally, totally difficult. One obstacle after another.”
Text messages provided to CNN by Osthoff show his exchanges with Santos in 2016.
[continues]
To add one thing to the very little factual life of “George Santos” is life as a drag queen. Really good to know he was building his gay life before becoming a resident of the U.S. Or is that another lie?
two quotes in regard to the rep. in question that kevin and the GOPer gang may find useful:
1. “In real life, there are no bad guys. Everybody just has their own perspective.” ~ Quentin Tarantino
2.
at 5:15 minutes in on colbert’s monologue is a photo of “rover devolder” worthy of going viral. hope you didn’t miss seeing it.
Vun ting more I should say, so de cless shouldn´t fill too bed about Jake Popper. It´s awreddy nine yiss since he pest avay!”“And I didn´t go to de funeral!” On this strange note, Mr. Kaplan took his seat.The class hummed, protesting against this anticlimax which left so much to the imagination.“Why you didn´t?” cried Mr. Bloom, with a knowing nod to the Misses Mitnick and Caravello.Mr. Kaplan´s face was a study in sufferance. “Becawss de funeral vas in de meedle of the veek,” he sighed. “An´ I said to minesalf, “Keplen, you in America, so tink like de Americans tink!´ So I tought, an´ I didn´t go. Becawss I tought of dat dip American idea, ´Business before pleasure!
“George Santos” is a little like Jarod from the 1990s series “The Pretender” who could effortlessly assume a new identity every week (hence the title). However, Jarod traveled around the country helping people and Santos is nothing more than a scuzzy con artist. That’s probably sufficient qualification for his current “pretend” as a Republican Congress member from New York. He’s even already on House committees!
[…]
Patch reports that two New Jersey veterans claim Santos, under his guise as Anthony Devolder, promised to raise money for a service dog’s lifesaving surgery and then vanished. It’s a much darker version of The Music Man.
Back in 2016, Richard Osthoff, a disabled Navy veteran, lived in a tent in an abandoned chicken coop on the side of Route 9 in Howell, New Jersey. His faithful companion was Sapphire, a service dog he’d received from a veteran’s charity. Sapphire had a life-threatening stomach tumor, and Osthoff was told the surgery would cost $3,000, which he obviously didn’t have. But a veterinary technician pulled him aside and said, “I know a guy who runs a pet charity who can help you.”
The “charity” was the perhaps misleadingly named “Friends of Pets United.” According to Osthoff and another New Jersey veteran, retired police Sgt. Michael Boll, Santos set up a GoFundMe for Sapphire, raised the $3,000 for the surgery, but then ghosted on Osthoff without turning over the funds. (The New York Times confirmed that Friends of Pets United is not a registered non-profit.)
“He stopped answering my texts and calls,” Osthoff said. Sapphire died Jan. 15, 2017, and Osthoff, who’d been out of work for a year with a broken leg, resorted to panhandling to pay for Sapphire’s euthanasia and cremation.
[…]
Sapphire was all Osthoff had after his nation and his body failed him. Santos took advantage of Osthoff and the public’s generosity, so obviously, he’d deny his involvement. He told Semafor that the story’s fake and he has no clue who Osthoff is. But unlike most of Santos’s stated life history, there is actually corroborating evidence supporting Osthoff’s claims.
[his tweet with evidence]
Osthoff also provided text messages between himself and Santos/Devolder/Cougar-Mellencamp.
On Nov. 13, 2016, in texts Osthoff showed Patch, he urged Santos to let him take Sapphire to another vet, saying “My dog is going to die because of god knows what.”
Santos replied, “Remember it is our credibility that got GoFundme […] to contribute. We are audited like every 501c3 and we are with the highest standards of integrity.”
“Sapphire is not a candidate for this surgery the funds are moved to the next animal in need and we will make sure we use of resources [sic] to keep her comfortable!”
[…]
CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewed Santos’s former roommate, who said he sometimes used the name “Anthony Zebrosky” when setting up GoFundMe scams. His stated reasoning is repulsive: “[Santos] would say oh, well the Jews will give more if you’re a Jew. So that is the name he used for his GoFundMes.”
You want to believe the walls are finally closing in on Santos, and he’ll finally face accountability for his lies. But that seems less likely in the Republican House majority Kevin McCarthy’s built.
[Patch]
Santos drag past inconvenient for the GOP war on drag shows
More seem outraged by the poor dog and his veteran than are worried about foreign money. Is this a real life “Wag The Dog” scam? If someone wanted to throw a stink-bomb to smell up the place, they couldn’t have come up with a better character than Santos. Sure, mtg seems mean and crazy, but Curious George is a better distraction; he feeds the media better. So much so that the foreign money/interference seems to have been forgotten.
But to the GQP, with regard to the drag thing, I absolutely love that journey for you!
There is just so much to unpack about what’s-his-name-? every day.
time for a musical interlude
The guy is a perfect storm of everything republicans claim to hate but he’s got ’em all on the run. It aint gonna last, he’ll soon hit the “endgate”.
That dog mighta done it.
Cheated a homeless veteran?
Killed his dog ?
Stole his money?
Man, that’s cold.
Looks like his “sell by” date is no further away than November, 2024. or until he’s indicted and convicted.
If that guy lasts till nov 24 I’ll eat my hat.
Santos is a thoroughly disgusting being
In the 8th grade, I had a teacher who regularly read to the class. He always introduced stories that he knew they probably wouldn’t read on their own. It was where I first learned about The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N. To this day, I will sometimes say I am going to the “bigga deparmen” when heading for the store.
KO had it right a few days ago, each time a repub, gqp, gop, frwnj opens their mouth shout George Santos into the chasm. Is funny watching social media start talking drag queen. Yup, the movies don’t lie.
“The company is calling it a “cyber-incident” rather than a cyber attack because it does not know what has caused the problem, the BBC has been told.”
Russians?
Whoever it was, the news has sure been slow getting to this side of the pond.
Sturg, never underestimate the power of stupidity plus arrogance.
So Dumbass screwed up and mistook a 1990s photo of E. Jean Carroll for Marla Maples? Not his type, right? There goes that defense. Best wishes to her – hope she wins bigly.
So the great investigation into how Alito got his scribblings published comes to the conclusion that somebody did it, but can’t figure out who. Never asked the justices (no longer capitalized) or the wife. Oh well the importance of all of this was to say they “looked”.
As the person using the name “George Santos or Kitara Ravache ” continues his/her deceptive lifestyle, you would be surprised at how many drag stars turn out to be Transgender. For someone who lies a lot, could there be a sex tape or two in the intertubes? She (respectful of drag women) may have tried to work her way to the top and be Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro. As a member of the LGBTQA+ part of life, I welcome most others, even a few of the self-loathing types of the Log Cabin repubs. The subject of our current ridicule so far deserves jail for so many lies and frauds.
Well, shit. Sorry to hear about David Crosby. Glad I called him in concert last year, or was it the year before that, regardless. I have to say his banter with the audience was superb. He had one hell of a sharp sense of humor.
Well, looks like Ron DeInSanity shows his true color – white. He banned AP classes in black history today. I suppose he probably wasn’t too concerned about losing any of the black vote in Florida.
“The unions have called for another day of action on January 31 against legislation that will require French citizens to work until 64, from 62 currently, to qualify for a full state pension.”
Try 70 for full Social Security, and sho knows what Republicans will try to do to agree to raise the debt ceiling. They are coming after boomers and all that follow.
George Santos took $3,000 from dying dog’s GoFundMe, veterans say | CNN Politics
George Santos denies scamming disabled veteran by raising money for their dog’s cancer treatment | Fox News
To add one thing to the very little factual life of “George Santos” is life as a drag queen. Really good to know he was building his gay life before becoming a resident of the U.S. Or is that another lie?
two quotes in regard to the rep. in question that kevin and the GOPer gang may find useful:
1. “In real life, there are no bad guys. Everybody just has their own perspective.” ~ Quentin Tarantino
2.
at 5:15 minutes in on colbert’s monologue is a photo of “rover devolder” worthy of going viral. hope you didn’t miss seeing it.
also on topic: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/arts/television/jimmy-kimmel-george-santos.html
Jimmy Kimmel:
“He’s been accused of stealing from a dog. He’s literally a ‘Scooby-Doo’ villain at this point, and he’s in Congress.”
The Rosten story was when Rosten was hired at the last minute to introduce Fields at a Friars Roast type thing but didn’t really know much about him.
Author of the Month:
Leo Rosten
THE JOYS OF YIDDISH
SILKIE, a detective story of a jewish private-eye.
The hilarious New Yorker magazine short stories about one Hyman Kaplan, student in an adult English class
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/121757.The_Education_of_Hyman_Kaplan
Vun ting more I should say, so de cless shouldn´t fill too bed about Jake Popper. It´s awreddy nine yiss since he pest avay!”“And I didn´t go to de funeral!” On this strange note, Mr. Kaplan took his seat.The class hummed, protesting against this anticlimax which left so much to the imagination.“Why you didn´t?” cried Mr. Bloom, with a knowing nod to the Misses Mitnick and Caravello.Mr. Kaplan´s face was a study in sufferance. “Becawss de funeral vas in de meedle of the veek,” he sighed. “An´ I said to minesalf, “Keplen, you in America, so tink like de Americans tink!´ So I tought, an´ I didn´t go. Becawss I tought of dat dip American idea, ´Business before pleasure!
wonkette gets its licks in on the topic
George Santos, You Dirty Dog – Wonkette
Santos drag past inconvenient for the GOP war on drag shows
https://nypost.com/2023/01/18/george-santos-dressed-in-drag-more-than-decade-ago-in-brazil-report/
More seem outraged by the poor dog and his veteran than are worried about foreign money. Is this a real life “Wag The Dog” scam? If someone wanted to throw a stink-bomb to smell up the place, they couldn’t have come up with a better character than Santos. Sure, mtg seems mean and crazy, but Curious George is a better distraction; he feeds the media better. So much so that the foreign money/interference seems to have been forgotten.
But to the GQP, with regard to the drag thing, I absolutely love that journey for you!
There is just so much to unpack about what’s-his-name-? every day.
time for a musical interlude
The guy is a perfect storm of everything republicans claim to hate but he’s got ’em all on the run. It aint gonna last, he’ll soon hit the “endgate”.
That dog mighta done it.
Cheated a homeless veteran?
Killed his dog ?
Stole his money?
Man, that’s cold.
Looks like his “sell by” date is no further away than November, 2024. or until he’s indicted and convicted.
If that guy lasts till nov 24 I’ll eat my hat.
Santos is a thoroughly disgusting being
In the 8th grade, I had a teacher who regularly read to the class. He always introduced stories that he knew they probably wouldn’t read on their own. It was where I first learned about The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N. To this day, I will sometimes say I am going to the “bigga deparmen” when heading for the store.
KO had it right a few days ago, each time a repub, gqp, gop, frwnj opens their mouth shout George Santos into the chasm. Is funny watching social media start talking drag queen. Yup, the movies don’t lie.
and then… there’s these two…
Sturg – Would you like ketchup?
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64231473
“The company is calling it a “cyber-incident” rather than a cyber attack because it does not know what has caused the problem, the BBC has been told.”
Russians?
Whoever it was, the news has sure been slow getting to this side of the pond.
Sturg, never underestimate the power of stupidity plus arrogance.
So Dumbass screwed up and mistook a 1990s photo of E. Jean Carroll for Marla Maples? Not his type, right? There goes that defense. Best wishes to her – hope she wins bigly.
So the great investigation into how Alito got his scribblings published comes to the conclusion that somebody did it, but can’t figure out who. Never asked the justices (no longer capitalized) or the wife. Oh well the importance of all of this was to say they “looked”.
As the person using the name “George Santos or Kitara Ravache ” continues his/her deceptive lifestyle, you would be surprised at how many drag stars turn out to be Transgender. For someone who lies a lot, could there be a sex tape or two in the intertubes? She (respectful of drag women) may have tried to work her way to the top and be Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro. As a member of the LGBTQA+ part of life, I welcome most others, even a few of the self-loathing types of the Log Cabin repubs. The subject of our current ridicule so far deserves jail for so many lies and frauds.
Time to feel more old. David Crosby has slid off the end of the bell curve. Time to play a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album. Yup, we ain’t getting older very easily.
Well, shit. Sorry to hear about David Crosby. Glad I called him in concert last year, or was it the year before that, regardless. I have to say his banter with the audience was superb. He had one hell of a sharp sense of humor.
Well, looks like Ron DeInSanity shows his true color – white. He banned AP classes in black history today. I suppose he probably wasn’t too concerned about losing any of the black vote in Florida.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/business/france-strikes-retirement-age-protest/index.html
“The unions have called for another day of action on January 31 against legislation that will require French citizens to work until 64, from 62 currently, to qualify for a full state pension.”
Try 70 for full Social Security, and sho knows what Republicans will try to do to agree to raise the debt ceiling. They are coming after boomers and all that follow.
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