Politico did the deep dive into the contributions made by Santos’ first campaign, in 2019.

The purported donations included $2,800 to Trump’s campaign that isn’t reflected in his campaign finance disclosures — and would have exceeded contribution limits if it did happen as Santos’ campaign reported it. The now-congressman’s campaign reported dispensing thousands more to local groups that did not report receiving the money in filings with the New York Board of Elections.

The early donations were just the beginning: Santos’ campaign would go on to become a prolific political donor, giving tens of thousands of dollars to other candidates, groups and nonprofits. Most of the later money was confirmed as received in those groups’ own filings, although there are more reports that did not match up, including $2,000 that Santos’ campaign reported giving in 2021 to Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters, though Santos’ disclosure listed a nonexistent Florida address for Masters’ campaign. A spokesperson for Masters, who lost to Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), confirmed his campaign did not receive the donation.

Since Santos launched his first campaign in 2019, more than three years before he was elected to Congress, his campaign reported more than $9,000 in donations that do not align with what was reported by other groups, according to a POLITICO analysis of campaign finance records. Though a relatively small sum out of millions in campaign expenses, the mismatching reports do fit into a pattern of other inaccuracies and discrepancies in the New York congressman’s finances, dating back to the very early days of his first campaign.

One of the reported recipients doesn’t exist. The campaign reported a donation of $1,500 to the Town of Oyster Bay Republican Club in September, 2019, Politico reported. But there is no such group. There are two Republican groups with “Oyster Bay” in their names but neither reported receiving money from Santos’ campaign.

The bigger picture is even worse. Santos’ treasurer resigned in late January and while the campaign filed a report with a new name as treasurer, that person was not officially designated. Last week, the FEC directed Santos to either name a new treasurer or face a ban on fundraising and spending. Some of Santos’ top donors don’t seem to exist, either.

God only knows what twisted finances lie at the heart of Santos’ very tangled web of deception. The question is, will Santos still be in Congress and/or out of jail by the time we find out?