Rise to Success: Career Highlights of George Santos

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how George Santos made an impact.

George Santos is a former American politician and convicted felon who served as a U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district in 2023 before being expelled from Congress. He initially ran for the seat unsuccessfully in 2020. After the incumbent opted not to run in 2022, Santos won the election, becoming the first openly LGBTQ Republican elected to Congress. His tenure was short-lived due to various controversies and ultimately his expulsion.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2005: Citigroup Sells Asset Management Division

In 2005, Citigroup sold its asset management division, before the period George Santos claimed to be employed there.

October 2011: Hired at Dish Network

In October 2011, George Santos began working as a customer service representative at a Dish Network call center in College Point, Queens. He handled calls from Portuguese-speaking customers.

October 2011: Santos Begins Working at Dish Network Call Center

In October 2011, George Santos began working as a customer service representative at a call center for Dish Network in College Point, Queens.

2011: Wikipedia User Claims to Have Acted in TV Shows

In 2011, a Wikipedia userpage created under the alias "Anthony Devolder" claimed that the account holder had acted in "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody".

Loading Video...

2011: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Opened in 2011

In 2022, Santos claimed he was a producer for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, but the musical opened in 2011 while Santos was living in Brazil and working at Dish Network.

July 2012: Santos Ends Employment at Dish Network Call Center

In July 2012, George Santos ended his employment as a customer service representative at a call center for Dish Network in College Point, Queens.

July 2012: Employment at Dish Network Ends

In July 2012, George Santos's employment as a customer service representative at Dish Network ended.

2013: FOPU Allegedly Founded by Santos

From 2013 George Santos claimed to have rescued over 2,500 animals as founder and operator of a charity called Friends of Pets United (FOPU).

2013: Santos Claims to be a Model

In late 2013, George Santos told a roommate that he was a model who had worked at New York Fashion Week and would be appearing in Vogue.

2013: Worked for HotelsPro

Sometime after 2013, George Santos worked for HotelsPro, a subsidiary of Turkey-headquartered MetGlobal.

2014: Santos Claims to be an NYU Business School Graduate

In 2014, Peter Hamilton recalled that George Santos claimed to be a graduate of NYU's business school but seemed not to know its name.

2016: Moved to Orlando, Florida

In early 2016, George Santos moved to Orlando, Florida, where HotelsPro was opening an office. He registered to vote and changed his driver's license to reflect his Florida residence.

2018: FOPU Operations End

Around 2018, Santos's alleged charity Friends of Pets United (FOPU) operations ceased.

2019: Role at LinkBridge Investors

In 2019, George Santos worked for LinkBridge Investors. He was listed as a vice president in his campaign disclosure form and a company document, but the company president testified he was a freelancer.

2019: Formation of Campaign Committee and Initial Donations

Shortly after being formed in 2019, George Santos's campaign committee made its first donations, $9,000 total, to Trump's presidential campaign committee and two local Republican organizations.

January 2020: Began Working for Harbor City Capital

In January 2020, shortly after launching his first campaign for Congress, George Santos began working for Harbor City Capital, a Florida-based alternative investment firm that was later accused of running a Ponzi scheme.

June 2020: Opened Harbor City Capital Office in Manhattan

In June 2020, George Santos opened an office for Harbor City Capital in Manhattan and became the firm's New York regional director.

2020: No Questions Raised During 2020 Campaign

George Santos said that no one had raised any questions about his claims during his 2020 campaign.

2020: Supported Donald Trump's Re-Election

George Santos was president of United for Trump, a small New York-based group supporting Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.

2020: Santos Claims to Have Paid Off MBA Student Loans

In 2020, George Santos claimed to have paid off his MBA student loans.

2020: Santos's 2020 Campaign Received Fictitious Donations

In 2020, George Santos's campaign received numerous contributions from fictitious or nonexistent names and addresses, processed through WinRed. Mother Jones reported this in late January 2023, noting that twelve donations, totaling $30,000, were from individuals who denied having donated. Some relatives of Santos were also reported to have made large donations which they denied making.

2020: Unauthorized Charges on Contributor's Credit Card

In 2020, a contributor to George Santos's campaign discovered unauthorized charges on their credit card, totaling nearly $15,000 and made through WinRed. TPM reported that despite the contributor's decision not to continue supporting Santos, these charges were recorded.

2020: Santos Claims Charitable Work on Behalf of Children with Epidermolysis Bullosa

In his 2020 campaign biography, George Santos claimed he and his family had worked charitably on behalf of children born with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a claim that was later refuted by EB charities.

2020: Marks and Tiffany Santos Established PAC Rise NY

In late 2020, after Santos lost the election to Suozzi, Marks and Tiffany Santos established a PAC called Rise NY, which later raised money from Santos donors who had exceeded the $2,900 limit for direct campaign contributions.

April 2021: Received Payments from Harbor City Capital

Harbor City Capital paid George Santos at least through April 2021.

May 2021: Incorporated LLC and Applied for Business Account

In May 2021, George Santos incorporated an LLC and applied for a business account, claiming the organization made $800,000 in net profit every year and grossed $1.5M.

August 2021: Endorsement from Elise Stefanik

In August 2021, U.S. representative Elise Stefanik endorsed George Santos and helped him raise over $100,000 at a fundraiser.

November 2021: RedStone Strategies Formed

In November 2021, RedStone Strategies was formed after complaints from the Forte campaign about Red Strategies. Santos represented himself as its "managing partner" while signing a contract and used a RedStone email address in his capital introduction work.

November 2021: Suozzi Announced He Would Not Seek Reelection to Congress

In November 2021, Tom Suozzi announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress, improving Republicans' chances of winning the seat. George Santos ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

December 2021: Confrontation Over Santos' Interest in Red Strategies

In December 2021, the House Ethics Committee reported that a witness working for the Forte campaign confronted George Santos about his failure to disclose his interest in Red Strategies. The witness noted Santos's name on the incorporation papers. Santos responded that he had merely bought into the company in August.

2021: Santos Promised Contributions to Rise Were for Building the Republican Party

During 2021, George Santos repeatedly told Intrater that contributions to Rise were being spent to build the Republican Party in New York.

2021: Unauthorized Charges Continued, Refunded by American Express

During 2021, a contributor to Santos's 2020 campaign continued to find unauthorized charges, totaling nearly $15,000, on their credit card made through WinRed. The full refund was later provided by American Express after WinRed initially failed to find a record of these transactions but eventually refunded $2,000.

2021: Rise NY Made Santos' Rent Payments

For two months in 2021, Rise NY made George Santos's $2,600 rent payments and later paid $1,800 for three tickets for Santos and two guests to attend a gala sponsored by the Liberty Education Forum.

2021: Santos Recommended Red Strategies USA to Forte's Campaign

In 2021, Demauro, Forte's campaign manager, stated that George Santos recommended hiring Red Strategies USA as a consultant without disclosing his own interest in the firm. The agreement allocated 80 percent of raised funds to the firm, which Demauro believed the campaign was trying to obfuscate. Marks repeatedly ignored requests for bank statements, and paychecks were frequently late.

2021: Unauthorized Contributions to Tina Forte's Campaign

In 2021, a donor's credit card was used for unauthorized contributions to Tina Forte, totaling $2,900 each. Similarly, another donor to Forte found a $5,800 charge on their card, far exceeding their intended donation. After complaints, refunds were issued.

2021: Marks Admits to Fabricating Contributions, Santos Indicted

In 2021, federal prosecutors revealed that Marks confessed to fabricating contributions from Santos's family members to make the campaign appear to have raised more than $250,000 from third parties. This allowed the campaign to qualify for assistance from the Republican National Committee (RNC) and discourage other candidates. Shortly after Marks's guilty plea, Santos was indicted on charges related to this scheme.

2021: Funds Raised for Voter Registration Diverted to Outspoken Middle East

In late 2021, over $55,000 George Santos raised with the promise of registering voters was instead diverted to Outspoken Middle East, an LGBTQ news platform aimed at that region of the world.

2021: RedStone Received Payments from Forte's Campaign

Throughout 2021, RedStone received $110,000 in 76 payments from Tina Forte's campaign, whose treasurer was also a co-owner of RedStone along with Marks and the Devolder Organization. Forte's campaign's FEC reports also showed some issues, such as many unnamed donors and $14,000 in reimbursements to the candidate for unnamed personal expenses.

April 2022: Rise NY PAC Paid RedStone

In April 2022, Rise NY, a PAC established by Marks and Tiffany Santos, paid RedStone $6,000.

May 2022: Campaign Financial Disclosure on Company Assets

In May 2022, George Santos's campaign financial disclosure said that his company's assets were in the $1M to $1.5M range.

July 2022: Estimated Revenue of Devolder Organization

In July 2022, Dun & Bradstreet estimated the revenue of George Santos's Devolder organization at less than $50,000.

July 2022: Joint Fundraiser with Beth Van Duyne

In July 2022, George Santos held a joint fundraiser with Texas representative Beth Van Duyne which later led to controversy when Van Duyne reported that her campaign had never received its share of the funds raised.

July 2022: Grenell Endorsed Santos

In July 2022, former ambassador Richard Grenell formally endorsed George Santos. Grenell was also involved with starting Outspoken and spoke at a Santos fundraiser around the same time.

September 2022: Dissolution of Company in Florida

In September 2022, George Santos's company, registered in Florida, was dissolved for failing to file annual reports.

November 2022: Santos Elected to Congress

Following Santos's November 2022 election to Congress, The Forward and Jewish Insider reported that Santos's claims about his family's alleged Jewish heritage were false on December 21, 2022.

2022: Unauthorized Charges Continued, Refunded by American Express

During 2022, a contributor to Santos's 2020 campaign continued to find unauthorized charges, totaling nearly $15,000, on their credit card made through WinRed. The full refund was later provided by American Express after WinRed initially failed to find a record of these transactions but eventually refunded $2,000.

2022: Santos Claims Family Owns 13 Rental Properties

During his 2022 congressional campaign, George Santos claimed that he and his family owned 13 rental properties in New York, a claim he later admitted was false.

2022: Santos Claims to Be a Producer for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

During his 2022 congressional campaign, George Santos told prospective donors that he was a producer for the musical "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," a claim denied by the show's lead producer.

2022: Santos Claims to Have Criticized Goldman Sachs at SALT Conference

In 2022, George Santos claimed that while employed at Goldman Sachs seven years earlier, he had attended the SALT Conference and criticized the company's investment in renewable energy; however, Anthony Scaramucci stated there was no record of Santos ever attending the conference.

2022: Ethics Committee Found Unreported Transfers

In 2022, the House Ethics Committee found "numerous unreported transfers to and from the campaign bank account" while reviewing bank records for Rise, RedStone and Santos's businesses. Some transfers went to accounts under Marks's control, $10,000 to the Devolder Organization, and $50,000 went between Rise and the campaign.

2022: New York Congressmen Call for Santos's Resignation

In January 2023, only eight days after the start of his tenure, four Republican New York congressmen who had also been elected in 2022, along with Joseph Cairo, called for Santos to resign from Congress.

2022: Campaign Website Revised to Remove Mention of EB

Sometime during 2022, George Santos's campaign website was revised to remove the mention of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), instead stating that charitable efforts were directed at "helping at-risk children and America's veterans".

January 2023: Santos Falsely Claims to be a 'Star Player' on Baruch Volleyball Team

In January 2023, George Santos falsely told a Republican Party chairman that he had been a "star player" on the Baruch volleyball team, winning the league championship and defeating Yale University, despite Yale not having a men's varsity volleyball team at the time.

January 2023: Ethics Complaint Filed, Formal Inquiry Announced

In January 2023, Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman, House Democrats from New York, filed an ethics complaint with the House Ethics Committee regarding Santos's financial disclosure reports. In March, the House Ethics Committee announced a formal inquiry and created a subcommittee to investigate allegations of improper financial disclosures, sexual misconduct, and conflict of interest.

January 2023: Treasurer Denies Involvement in Campaign

In January 2023, reports listed Thomas Datwyler as George Santos' campaign treasurer, but Datwyler denied any involvement, claiming his name was forged. The FEC subsequently requested clarification from the Santos campaign regarding this discrepancy.

January 2023: Complaints Filed Against Santos

In January 2023, the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the FEC alleging misuse of campaign funds, concealed funding sources, and falsified expenditures by George Santos. Simultaneously, End Citizens United (ECU) filed separate complaints with the FEC, DOJ, and Office of Congressional Ethics. Additionally, Accountable.US filed another FEC complaint by the end of the week, alleging over $100,000 in excessive contributions.

January 2023: Fictitious Donations to Santos' 2020 Campaign Discovered

In late January 2023, Mother Jones revealed that many contributions to George Santos's 2020 campaign were attributed to fictitious or nonexistent names and addresses via WinRed. Additionally, $30,000 in contributions were allegedly from real people who denied making those donations. Relatives of Santos also denied making reported donations.

January 2023: McCarthy Addresses Questions About Santos' Resume and Miele's Actions

In mid-January 2023, Kevin McCarthy addressed the questions about George Santos's falsified resume. Santos's campaign paid $50,000 to Miele, who impersonated Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff. Some contributors said they felt cheated after Santos's false claims about Wall Street experience and being Jewish were revealed.

February 2023: Santos Solicited Contributions to Rise Despite No Official Connection

In February 2023, Mother Jones reported that George Santos regularly solicited contributions to Rise, despite having no official connection, and personally delivered checks from it. Additionally, in late 2021, over $55,000 Santos raised with the promise of registering voters was diverted to Outspoken Middle East.

February 2023: Santos Co-sponsors Bill to Designate AR-15 as National Gun

In February 2023, Santos co-sponsored a bill to designate the "AR-15–style rifle" the National Gun of the United States.

February 2023: Santos Blames Résumé Lies on Local Republican Party

In February 2023, during a Newsmax interview, George Santos blamed his résumé lies on the local Republican Party, later stating that a campaign staffer had written his résumé after being expelled from the House.

April 2023: Santos Announces Re-election Bid

In April 2023, the Santos campaign announced that he would seek re-election in 2024.

May 2023: Democrats Introduce Resolution to Expel Santos

In May 2023, after Santos was indicted on federal charges, Robert Garcia and other House Democrats introduced a resolution to expel Santos from the House. The House approved a motion to send the resolution to the Ethics Committee.

May 2023: Santos Files New FEC Paperwork and Hires New Treasurer

In May 2023, following his indictment, George Santos filed new FEC paperwork listing himself as treasurer. A day later, he hired Jason D. Boles, who had previously worked as a treasurer for Marjorie Taylor Greene. CREW also filed another FEC complaint, alleging that Olson, a name associated with the campaign, was fictitious.

May 2023: Ethics Committee Expanded Investigation

In May 2023, the House Ethics Committee expanded its investigation into George Santos to include the unemployment fraud alleged in the federal indictment. The committee sought the cooperation of 40 witnesses and subpoenaed 30 others.

July 2023: Suspicions of Inflated WinRed Fees by Red Strategies USA

In July 2023, Tina Forte's campaign manager suspected Red Strategies USA, partly owned by George Santos, of inflating WinRed's fees in campaign reports. For example, $35,000 in "credit card fees" was reported when WinRed typically charges only 4%, suggesting an excessive amount given the campaign's fundraising. NBC News found similar discrepancies in Santos's campaign's use of WinRed.

August 2023: Santos Downplays False Claims Related to Job History

In August 2023, George Santos downplayed the significance of his false or exaggerated claims regarding his job history, asserting that most people lie on their résumés.

October 5, 2023: Marks Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Violations

On October 5, 2023, Marks pleaded guilty in federal court in Long Island to numerous campaign finance violations and a plea agreement recommended a prison sentence of 42 months to four years.

October 2023: Expulsion Vote Fails

Following the failure of an October 2023 vote to expel him from the House, Santos indicated he would run again in 2024 even if expelled.

October 2023: Superseding Indictment on Credit Card Fraud Charges

In October 2023, George Santos was accused in a superseding indictment of unauthorized use of donor credit cards, leading to charges of aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud.

November 2023: Santos Reverses Course, Will Not Seek Re-election

In November 2023, after the House Ethics Committee's report made further fraud allegations against Santos, he reversed course and announced that he would not seek re-election.

December 1, 2023: Expulsion from the House of Representatives

On December 1, 2023, the House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee and a federal indictment. He is the first member of Congress expelled without having previously been convicted of a crime or having supported the Confederacy.

December 2023: Expulsion from Congress

In December 2023, George Santos was expelled from the U.S. Congress, ending his term as the U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district.

2023: Vilarva Discusses Santos's Finances and Work

In 2023, Pedro Vilarva, Santos's boyfriend at the time of the lease in 2014, told the Times that Santos claimed to be expecting money from investment work at Citigroup, but he never went to work.

2023: Santos Votes With House Republican Leadership

In 2023, Santos voted in favor of key bills supported by the House Republican leadership. After his indictment in May, House Republican leadership reiterated that they would not seek to force Santos to resign or expel him from the House.

2023: Santos Votes Against Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 2023, Santos was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.

2023: House Democrats Announce Resolution to Censure Santos

Later in 2023, House Democrats announced they would introduce a resolution to censure Santos. Five New York Republicans who had already called on Santos to resign said they would vote for censure, as did Ohio Republican Max Miller.

February 2024: Santos Lashes Out After Special Election Loss

After Suozzi won the February 2024 special election to fill Santos's seat, leaving the House Republicans with an even narrower majority, Santos lashed out at his former Republican colleagues who had voted to expel him in a group text.

March 22, 2024: Santos Leaves Republican Party

On March 22, 2024, Santos announced his departure from the Republican Party, stating that he could not affiliate himself with a party that stands for nothing. He intended to continue his congressional campaign as an independent.

April 2024: Santos to Revive Drag Persona

In April 2024, George Santos announced he would revive his Kitara drag persona for Cameo videos, promising to donate 20 percent of the proceeds to charity.

April 23, 2024: Santos Drops Out of Race

On April 23, 2024, Santos dropped out of the race for New York's 1st congressional district.

2024: Santos States he is Running for Reelection

After his arraignment for indictment, George Santos told reporters in May 2023 that he was still running for reelection in 2024.

2024: Santos Announces Run for New York's 1st Congressional District

During the 2024 State of the Union Address in March, Santos announced that he would run for the House in New York's 1st congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Nick LaLota.

2024: Santos Plans to Run Again

Following the failure of an October 2023 vote to expel him from the House, Santos said he would run again in 2024 even if he was expelled from the House before the election.

2024: Santos Declares Candidacy for 2024 Elections

In 2024, the FEC informed George Santos that his campaign had raised over $5,000 without debts, officially recognizing him as a candidate for the 2024 elections. He was given until March 14 to declare his candidacy, after which Santos filed a statement confirming his intention to run.

2024: Party Chairs Withdraw Support

In 2024, the state's Conservative and Republican Party chairs announced they would not support Santos's re-election bid.

2024: Boles Listed as Treasurer in Paperwork

In 2024, upon filing new paperwork following his announcement of candidacy, Jason Boles was listed as the treasurer for George Santos' campaign.

2024: Expulsion Motion Fails

On November 1, 2023 the expulsion motion failed 213–179. In 2024, Santos dismissed the resolution as a political stunt.

March 2025: Sam Miele Sentenced to Prison

In March 2025, Sam Miele, a consultant for George Santos, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for unauthorized use of donor credit cards and lying about campaign expenditures, including defrauding one donor of $470,000. Miele had previously admitted to these actions.