George Santos is a ‘perfect monument’ to House GOP lies
by Lawrence O'Donnell
MSNBC
Jan 26, 2023
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell explains how George Santos’s newest lie that his response to the press will be “comprehensive,” along with his failure to answer questions about his possible campaign finance crimes, shows how “House Republicans are fully accepting of lies told to them that they know are lies.”
Transcript
0:01
WASHINGTON D.C. AND WE WILL
0:02
SHOW YOU THAT IN THE MID THANK
0:05
YOU ALEX EMIGRATE TO.
0:07
>> THANK YOU.
0:09
WELL IT EXACTLY THE SAME LAST
0:10
NIGHT WHEN WE BEGAN THIS
0:11
PROGRAM WITH THE NEWS THAT
0:13
GEORGE ANTHONY TO SANTOS DID
0:14
NOT ACCEPT AN INVITATION TO
0:17
WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION FOR ALL
0:18
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BOTH
0:20
PARTIES.
0:21
PROBABLY BECAUSE THE WHITE
0:23
HOUSE TOXICITIES.
0:24
THEY DO BACKGROUND CHECKS OF
0:26
EVERY VISITOR.
0:27
WE NOW KNOW EXACTLY WHERE
0:30
CONGRESSMAN DEVOLDER SANTOS WAS
0:33
WHEN WE DELIVER THAT REPORT.
0:35
ALONG WITH THE BREAKING NEWS
0:36
LAST NIGHT THAT THE PERSON
0:37
LISTED AS THE NEW TREASURE
0:46
GEORGE SANTOS WAS NOT SIGNED BY
0:48
THE PERSON HE'S SERVED AS A
0:59
TREASURE ON MANY CAMPAIGNS.
0:59
HE HAD A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF
1:01
THE NEW CAMPAIGN FINANCE
1:02
DARTMOUTH BEARING ELECTRONICS
1:05
INTEREST COMPLETELY WRONG.
1:06
HE DIDN'T AUTHORIZE THE SANDERS
1:09
CAMPAIGN TO LOSE THE SIGNATURE.
1:11
HE DOES NOT VOTE FOR ANY
1:12
INFORMATION AND THAT NEW
1:16
CAMPAIGN.
1:17
IT CHANGES THE DESCRIPTION THAT
1:19
FLOWED INTO THE CAMPAIGN.
1:23
IT CAME FROM THE CANDIDATES
1:24
PERSONAL FUNDS.
1:29
THEY DO NOT REVEAL.
1:32
FROM 99% OF POLITICIANS, THAT
1:37
NEWS BREAKING LAST NIGHT
1:40
WOULD'VE BEEN THE VERY WORST
1:42
NEWS OF THEIR LIVES.
1:45
IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE DARKEST
1:46
MOMENT OF THEIR LIFE AS
1:47
POLITICIANS FOR 99% OF THE
1:50
POLITICIANS.
1:53
THEY NEVER LIED ABOUT WHERE
1:54
THEIR INTO SCHOOL, WHERE THEY
1:54
WORK, OR RANDOMLY THROWN
1:57
SOMEONE ELECTRONICS IGNORANT TO
1:58
THEIR CAMPAIGN FINANCE FILINGS.
2:01
IT SEEMS TO HAVE A POSSIBLE
2:04
CAMPAIGN FINANCE CRIME.
2:07
MOST POLITICIANS NEVER COME
2:10
CLOSE TO SCANDAL MOMENT.
2:11
GEORGE ANTHONY FOUND HIMSELF IN
2:13
THIS AT EXACTLY THIS TIME, THIS
2:17
VERY MINUTE LAST TIME.
2:23
WHEN THEY ARE THIS FAR DOWN THE
2:24
TEE POLAND SCANDAL, THE
2:26
POSSIBLE CRIME.
2:27
IT HAS STATE FEDERAL
2:28
PROSECUTORS CLOSING IN ON IT.
2:31
WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE GEORGE
2:33
SANTOS WAS LAST NIGHT.
2:38
WHEN I WAS REVEALING THE LATEST
2:39
ELEMENTS OF WHAT MAYBE THE
2:42
CAMPAIGN.
2:43
WHEN HE WAS OUT OF THE TUNNEL
2:44
WASHINGTON D.C., YOU WOULD
2:46
THINK BY NOW THE GEORGE SANTOS
2:49
MIGHT TAKE A CERTAIN PLEASURE
2:51
IN WEARING AN N95 MASK, EVEN IF
2:53
HE THINKS HE'S NOT AT RISK OF
2:57
COVID-19.
2:58
JUST TO MAKE IT THAT MUCH
2:59
HARDER TO RECOGNIZE MELTED ON
3:00
THE WORLD, YOU WOULD THINK BY
3:02
NOW.
3:06
IT'S WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
3:07
ANOTHER PAIR OF GLASSES.
3:09
THEY WOULDN'T GO OUT THERE
3:11
TOWARDS ON MYSTICAL TRADEMARK
3:15
EYEGLASSES.
3:15
AT THIS TIME LAST NIGHT, HE WAS
3:18
IN PLACE WHERE MOST PEOPLE
3:19
DON'T LOOK AT THAT CAME FROM
3:21
THE OFFICE.
3:21
MOST PEOPLE ARE VERY CASUALLY
3:22
JESS THERE BUT GEORGE ANTHONY
3:25
DEVOLDER SANTOS PROVING ONCE
3:28
AGAIN THAT HE DESPERATELY
3:28
CRAVES AND PATHOLOGICALLY
3:30
THRIVES THE TENSION IS GETTING
3:35
INTO A KARAOKE BAR IN
3:36
WASHINGTON D.C..
3:37
HE WENT JUST AS GEORGE SANTOS.
3:42
HE WENT TO A PLACE CALLED HILL
3:43
COUNTRY JUST OF PENNSYLVANIA
3:47
AVENUE BETWEEN THE CAPITOL AT,
3:48
HOUSE EAST UP TO WEIGH --
3:53
SNOT THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU GO TO,
3:55
NOT THE PLACE TO GO TO MIDNIGHT
3:57
IN WASHINGTON D.C..
4:01
YOU CAN DO THIS IF YOU WANT TO
4:03
BE SEEN.
4:03
HE WAS SEEN.
4:05
HE WAS VIDEOED EXACTLY 10:10
4:08
PM.
4:11
WHO'S BEEN NBC NEWS STAFFER.
4:13
IT WENT LIKE THIS.
4:16
>> YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TRY TO
4:18
INTERVIEW ME.
4:19
>> I WILL TELL YOU THIS, YOU
4:21
ARE RECORDING.
4:23
I WILL SAY THIS, --
4:29
>> SO, OUT OF THE TOWN AS
4:38
EXACTLY WHAT HE DOES THE OFFICE
4:40
BUILDING.
4:41
HE REVELED IN TENSION OF THE
4:43
CAMERA, IF YOU JUST ANSWER
4:45
QUESTIONS.
4:48
HE LIES HE JUST ATTORNEY
4:52
RESPONSE TO THE PRESS IS GONNA
4:53
BE COMPREHENSIVE.
4:54
THAT IS A LOT.
4:54
I WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE.
4:56
HE WILL NOT ANSWER EVERY
4:57
QUESTION WITH ASKED HIM.
5:00
HE MIGHT NEVER ANSWER ANY
5:02
QUESTIONS ASKED OF HIM OUTSIDE
5:07
OF A COURTROOM.
5:08
YOU HAVE A RIGHT NOT TO TESTIFY,
5:09
WE MAY NEVER HEAR GEORGE SANTOS
5:12
ANSWER A SINGLE QUESTION ABOUT
5:15
WHERE HE GOT THE $700,000.
5:19
IT'S NOW OFFICIALLY LISTED AS
5:23
AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN
5:27
CONTRIBUTION.
5:28
THEY DID NOT COME FROM THE
5:29
CANDIDATES PRECIP FUND.
5:32
IT'S ONLY SOURCE RUN AMOK THAT
5:36
LARGE CAN COME FROM.
5:39
THERE ARE TWO REASONS THAT
5:40
SANTOS STILL A MEMBER OF THE
5:43
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
5:45
KEVIN MCCARTHY IS THE WEAKEST
5:48
WEAKER DESPERATELY NEEDS
5:52
SANTOS.
5:53
HE NEEDS THE MONEY.
5:54
AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO
5:56
EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER THAT GEORGE
5:59
SANTOS HAS EVER EARNED MORE
6:03
MONEY THAN THE PAYCHECK HE'S
6:05
GETTING RIGHT NOW.
6:12
WE HAVE NEVER SEEN A SANTOS TAX
6:15
RETURN.
6:16
SO, WE HAVE NO IDEA IF HE HAS
6:18
EVER MADE THAT MUCH MONEY
6:20
BEFORE AN'S LIFE.
6:21
HE IS NEVER LIVED LIKE SOMEONE
6:23
MAKING THIS MUCH A YEAR.
6:28
HE'S NEVER HAD THE HOME OF THAT
6:32
INCOME HAS PROVIDED FOR AN
6:33
INDIVIDUAL.
6:33
YOU SEE POLITICIANS LIKE GEORGE
6:35
SANTOS, NOT THAT WE'VE EVER
6:36
SEEN ONE LIKE HIM BEFORE.
6:39
WHEN YOU SEE A POLITICIAN AND
6:43
THIS MUCH HOPE WAS TROUBLE WITH
6:43
HIS PREVIOUS SUPPORTER BECKHAM
6:45
DEMANDING HERE IS NINE, ALONG
6:47
WITH HIS FELLOW REPUBLICAN
6:49
DEMANDING HE RESIGN.
6:54
ALL THESE POLITICIANS NEED THE
6:56
MONEY, THEY ONLY THE PAYCHECK.
7:00
THEY ONLY THEN CAN FROM THE
7:01
JOB.
7:02
EVERYONE IS DEMANDING THE
7:03
RESIGNED FROM IT.
7:05
EVERY DAY THAT GEORGE ANTHONY
7:06
REMAINS IN THE HOUSE OF
7:07
REPRESENTATIVES, HE DOUBLE
7:09
UNDERLINES THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN
7:13
PARTY'S RELATIONSHIP TO LYING.
7:14
AND WHAT HE SHOWS IS THAT LINE
7:18
IS A COMFORTABLE TWO WAY STREET
7:20
FOR HOUSE REPUBLICANS.
7:22
YES A LOT OF THEIR VOTERS FOR
7:25
2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
7:26
THE REPUBLICANS OF ALWAYS LIKE
7:27
TO VOTERS ABOUT TAX CUTS FOR
7:28
THE RICH.
7:30
ACTUALLY, IT SOMEHOW INCREASES
7:31
REVENUE TO THE TREASURY.
7:35
IN FACT, THAT DRAMATICALLY CUTS
7:37
THE REVENUE TO THE TREASURY AS
7:38
IT HAS OVERTIME.
7:40
IT'S CREATING HUGE DEFICITS.
7:42
CREATES NATIONAL DEBT AS TAP
7:44
CUTS HAVE EVERY TIME.
7:46
MANY OF YOU COULD SPEND THE
7:48
NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES RATTLING
7:49
OFF LIES HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE
7:51
TOLD, WITHOUT EVEN INCLUDING
7:52
THE DANGEROUS QANON MADNESS.
7:58
BUT THE LESS EMPHASIZED PART OF
8:00
THE REPUBLICAN LIE, THAT HOUSE
8:03
REPUBLICANS ARE FULLY ACCEPTING
8:05
OF LIES TOLD TO THEM.
8:11
THANK MINERALIZE.
8:13
MOST OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS
8:15
KNEW THAT EVERYTHING DONALD
8:17
TRUMP AND RUDY GIULIANI SAID
8:18
ABOUT THAT ELECTION WAS A LIE.
8:21
BUT THEY WANTED TO BE LIED TO.
8:28
GEORGE SANTOS LYING TO THEM IS
8:32
SOMETHING THAT REPUBLICANS IN
8:33
THE HOUSE EXCEPT EVERY DAY FROM
8:35
DONALD TRUMP.
8:36
AND OTHER REPUBLICANS.
8:37
BUT I LIKE DONALD, TRUMP GEORGE
8:38
SANTOS HAVE SNOW FALLING IN THE
8:40
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
8:41
HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A
8:41
FOLLOWING ANYMORE IN HIS LONG
8:43
ISLAND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
8:45
PUBLIC.
8:48
CONGRESSMAN SANTOS DOES NOT
8:49
REPRESENT THE THINKING OF A
8:51
MAJORITY OF THE REPUBLICAN
8:52
PARTY VOTERS.
8:53
THEY FEEL NOTHING FOR GEORGE
8:53
SANTOS.
8:54
NOTHING POSITIVE.
8:55
AND SO, GEORGE SANTOS WHO HAS
8:59
BECOME THE MOST FAMOUS
9:01
REPUBLICAN FRESHMAN CONGRESSMAN
9:04
HISTORY POSTAL PREVENTATIVE
9:07
CENTER EVERY DAY IN THE HOUSE
9:08
OF REPRESENTATIVES IS THE
9:10
PERFECT MONUMENT THE LIVES
9:13
PUBLICANS TELL TO THEIR VOTERS
9:19
AND EACH OTHER.
9:19
THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN POSITION
9:23
IS ALLY.
9:23
THEY TELL ONLY WHEN WE HAVE A
9:27
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT.
9:32
ON THE DEBT CEILING, WHEN THERE
9:35
IS A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT --
9:37
>> SO, WHEN THEY START TALKING
9:39
ABOUT USING THE DEBT CEILING AS
9:43
A WATCH TO NEGOTIATE FOR THINGS
9:44
THAT THEY WANT, THEY HAVE TOLD
9:45
ME VERY STRONGLY THAT THEY
9:48
WOULD NEVER USE
***************************************
Man [Christian Lopez] says George Santos pitched investment in firm Feds call a Ponzi scheme
by Laura Coates
CNN
Jan 26, 2023
CNN's Laura Coates speaks with Christian Lopez and his attorney Tiffany Bogosian about a 2020 dinner during which Lopez says George Santos tried to get him to invest $300,000 in a firm that Federal authorities say is a Ponzi scheme. Santos has denied any wrongdoing.
Transcript
0:01
In that case, stick around,
0:04
please come back and it is a
0:08
business dinner, back in 2020.
0:10
That was attended by Christian
0:12
Lopez, and his attorney with
0:14
iffy because Ian.
0:17
Santos, looking for harbor city
0:20
capital, which is a Florida
0:22
-based investment firms.
0:24
Lopez says, he was pitching him
0:26
to invest $300, 000, but Lopez
0:30
declined.
0:30
The exchange commission is
0:35
accused of being a Ponzi
0:36
scheme.
0:36
Santos denied any knowledge,
0:39
but Cynthia because in, and
0:41
Andrew Lopez joins us now.
0:42
I want to begin with you and,
0:44
welcome to the program.
0:45
Christian, let me begin with
0:47
you here.
0:49
Per the reporting, Santos
0:50
brought you to a restaurant,
0:53
the hidden November of 2020.
0:56
He want to do to invest about
0:59
$300,000.
0:59
Can you tell us what happened
1:01
in that instance?
1:01
>> Yes.
1:03
He was trying to pitch me some
1:05
ideas that, basically, is
1:10
giving 300, 000, and every tool
1:13
in a few weeks, and is not make
1:17
any sense to me, honestly.
1:18
>> You describe the situation
1:20
out of a scene from goodfellas.
1:22
Tell me about what you mean?
1:24
>> When you go into this
1:27
restaurant we, were greeted
1:29
very good.
1:29
We were like family.
1:30
I've never step foot in there
1:31
in my life.
1:32
I neither had my lawyer, or my
1:34
girlfriend.
1:34
We go in there is going on to a
1:39
second floor, and it's a big
1:41
room.
1:41
One table, a butler, and George
1:45
Santos.
1:46
Right there I would say, what?
1:48
This is different.
1:49
This is nice.
1:52
I had never been treated this
1:55
nice before, but we are going
1:56
to see what's going on here.
2:00
They went they ordered some
2:02
food, they went to order the
2:05
business, and that is looking
2:08
at it all along there.
2:10
It makes no sense.
2:12
>> What were the red flags that
2:13
made you suspicious about this
2:15
venture?
2:15
>> Basically, he was saying,
2:19
the worst thing you could say
2:20
to anybody.
2:21
If you give us 300, 000, you
2:23
are not allowed to know what
2:25
you are investing into.
2:26
Basically, I give money to him,
2:28
and I don't know if he is
2:30
making bombs, I don't know,
2:32
drugs, whatever he invest this
2:34
money into, I don't know where
2:35
he sending it.
2:36
He said, it has nothing to do
2:37
with you.
2:37
All you need to do is give me
2:39
the money, and then every 2 to
2:41
3 weeks, I will give you
2:44
$3,000.
2:44
And I said, how?
2:45
How does this make sense?
2:47
It just doesn't sound right.
2:49
And then he tried to use the
2:52
fact that he was in line with
2:55
trump, and he had people, and
2:56
all of these other things, and
2:57
they would do good.
3:01
It is things like that.
3:02
>> Let's bring you in here,
3:04
Tiffany.
3:04
You should know that the sec is
3:06
looking into this as a Ponzi
3:08
scheme, and of course, any
3:12
criminal activity suggested as
3:14
what's being purchased, what
3:15
the money has been going for.
3:16
So we will, note of course, we
3:18
did reach out to George Santos
3:19
for comment, and did not
3:20
receive it in this instance.
3:22
Tiffany, you know Santos, and
3:25
you agreed to dinner is the
3:29
liaison in the two, it could be
3:31
a scam.
3:31
What set off alarm bells to you?
3:35
>> Unfortunately, I was the
3:37
mediary between Christian and
3:39
George.
3:39
I read tread data, 1000%, but
3:42
thankfully, it did not go
3:43
further.
3:45
So, essentially, for junior
3:50
high school with me we,
3:53
attended I.S. 1:25 and sunny
3:55
side queens.
3:57
After junior high school, we
3:59
lost touch, and we reacquainted
4:02
ourselves in 2019.
4:06
In this case, Christians case
4:09
occurred in 2018.
4:10
By the time it came to
4:12
settlement, it was 2020, and as
4:14
a closer to a settlement, I
4:16
mean, this was my first, large
4:19
case, out of law school, on my
4:21
own.
4:21
I was excited about it, and I
4:23
was telling everybody.
4:26
Everywhere that I had worked,
4:27
with different annuity
4:28
companies, and this is as far
4:32
as they go with it.
4:33
Harbor city capital, which I
4:35
find so ironic he says, fake
4:37
news, fake media, disingenuous
4:40
reporting.
4:43
He never said anything about
4:45
harbor city capital, at that
4:46
center.
4:46
He led us to believe, and lead
4:49
Christian to believe that at
4:50
the time, they worked for
4:54
Goldman Sachs.
4:55
The personal banker on behalf
4:57
of Goldman Sachs, and all of
4:59
these representations is on
5:02
behalf of Goldman Sachs.
5:03
In fact, so the red flags came
5:07
up as far as, you don't know
5:09
what you are investing in.
5:10
For me, the red flags came up a
5:13
media immediately, and when I
5:16
read $300,000 a month on an
5:18
interest and investment.
5:19
I have worked with several
5:20
annuity companies, with large
5:23
investments.
5:27
$3,000 a month is unheard of.
5:29
That was a huge red flag, and
5:32
there after, he followed up
5:33
with Christian sending
5:35
confidence, and memorandums,
5:36
again, from harbor city
5:38
capital.
5:38
Acting at the dinner is on
5:43
behalf of Goldman Sachs.
5:46
It was an employee of Goldman
5:49
Sachs, and the fact that
5:51
Christian is applying to this
5:54
is, essentially, him calling me,
5:56
and was very upset.
5:57
That was the last conversation
5:59
they had at home, which is
6:01
where, he said, he was very
6:04
upset.
6:05
It was an embarrassment to
6:06
covax, and was a cpany
6:08
current.
6:08
I said, listen this is the
6:11
nature business, clients have
6:14
to choose who to not vote with
6:17
you.
6:18
And so, essentially, he never
6:20
spoke to me after that we'll
6:23
have these lines were exposed,
6:26
he never worked for Goldman
6:28
Sachs, for citigroup, or
6:29
anything like that, I was
6:31
beyond belief.
6:31
Now, you are thinking, somebody
6:33
is pulling into their own
6:35
pockets to disperse this kind
6:36
of money, to create these,
6:38
bells and these whistles, to
6:39
essentially take advantage.
6:40
He was, essentially, going to
6:44
make off with, it essentially.
6:46
>> At one point, I would say --
6:48
sorry to interrupt you, but all
6:50
three of us were to shaking our
6:51
head, throughout the story, and
6:53
just thinking that this is what
6:54
you are describing, and what
6:56
you are telling here.
6:56
Especially, it is not in a
6:58
vacuum.
6:58
We talk about this as a sitting member of congress. Thank you so much all of you for joining us today. I appreciate it.