‘Following a week really from hell’: George ‘I’m $800K in debt’ Santos returns to X with an excuse for his absence, but no apology for identity theft or fraud

Well, that’s a relief (says no one): Expelled Republican Representative George Santos is back on X. Explaining his absence, Santos posted he’s recovering from a bad case of pneumonia after “a week really from hell.”

These days, Santos writes the “Raw George,” a column for The South Shore Press. Based on that X post alone, Santos buried the lede, as we like to say in journalism, because “week from hell” is an understatement. On Aug. 19, 2024, around the same time he vanished from X, Santos pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud charges for fraudulent activity during his 2022 campaign for the U.S. House from New York state, according to CNN.

Newsday says Santos is $800,000 in debt. Some of the misappropriated campaign funds were spent on OnlyFans. After his expulsion, Santos joined OnlyFans, but “not for adult content,” he later clarified. That’s a claim we didn’t risk confirming on our own. Santos is also now on Cameo, too — because, I guess, he needs to cover his legal fees somehow.

Santos pleaded guilty in a deal

Santos had previously pleaded not guilty to scores of other charges but agreed to plead guilty to some in a deal that will see the disgraced former MAGA politician spend at least two years in prison and pay a $373,000 fine. When those allegations against Santos were uncovered, Santos was expelled from the House in Dec. 2023 in a 311 to 114 vote. Two representatives voted present. At that point, Santos had not been convicted in a court of law.

When Santos pleaded guilty, he said in court, “I deeply regret my conduct. I accept full responsibility for my actions.” He added later, “Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I’d take, but it’s the right thing to do. It is my own recognition of the lies I told myself.”

Among Santos’ many bizarre “lies,” he falsely identified as Jewish and claimed to be a successful Broadway producer. And the falsehoods only go on from there. So again, Santos tends toward understatement.

Why do people still support this guy?

Seemingly, Santos’ supporters still think he’s on the right side of history, despite the guilty plea and all the confirmed lies he told in his campaign for Congress. But then again, these are the same people who still support convicted felon Donald Trump, so that tracks. “Glad you’re ok George!! Keep fighting for us Patriots!” said one comment on Santos’ post explaining his X absence.

Based on a later Santos comment, he had a bad case of pneumonia. “Not the best time in my life that’s for sure. I collapsed on Monday night and I had a nightmare of a time. Just awful.” If that’s true we’re glad he’s feeling better, even if Santos mocked American Democracy and the U.S. House of Representatives when he ran for Congress.

Santos, only the sixth representative expelled from the House in U.S. history, said he’d run for reelection as an independent in New York’s 1st district after he was kicked out of the House. Santos later withdrew and threw his support behind the GOP candidate.

In his latest South Shore Press post, which, apparently, still thinks Santos is a trustworthy source of information, he writes, “This election season is far from over, and it is increasingly exhausting.” That’s true, George, politics are exhausting right now, and you’re a big reason why.