US Rep. George Santos on Wednesday missed another deadline to submit a key financial disclosure report, a one-month delay that the embattled New York Republican blamed on his federal taxes and the desire to avoid a “rush that work.”
The disclosures, filed with the House Committee on Ethics, provide a public snapshot of a representative’s personal finances. They are meant to serve as a bulwark against potential conflicts of interest.
In an emailed statement to The Associated Press, Santos admitted he was late, but said “it’s better to be late, be accurate, and pay the fine than be on time, be inaccurate, and suffer the consequences of a urgent work.”
Santos, who has gained infamy for fabricating large parts of his life story while running for office, faces a 13-count federal indictment centering on charges of money laundering and lying to Congress in one previous financial disclosures.
It is not entirely clear how he made his living before being elected. He described himself as a Wall Street dealmaker who also made money in real estate, but he did not work for the companies he claimed employed him and had him evicted from some apartments for not paying rent. Recently, he said he made money helping the rich buy luxury items, such as yachts, but he did not provide details.
He received a 90-day extension for House financial disclosures in May, then missed the August deadline. At the time, he said he planned to file the disclosure within the 30-day grace period allowed by the federal government.
That period passed on Wednesday, with Santos saying he has no plans to file until his federal tax returns from last year are submitted.
“Despite my legal team and my best efforts to meet the deadlines, the additional audit and tax filing for 2022 remains,” he said. “I still have until November 2023 to submit my 2022 taxes to the IRS to avoid legal troubles.”
“Because the House’s filing deadlines conflict with IRS regulations, this misalignment exists,” he added.
Stephen Spaulding, the vice president of policy at Common Cause, a watchdog group, described Santos’ reasoning as “nonsensical,” saying there was no reason his federal tax obligations should prevent him from filing required disclosures.
“He thumbed his nose at the requirements of transparency, his constituents and the public,” Spaulding said. “All the more reason to strengthen these sanctions.”
Under federal law, members of Congress are penalized with a $200 late fee for missing a filing deadline. Those who don’t file at all, or are found to have falsified their statements, could face civil penalties of up to $71,316.
Although it’s not uncommon for representatives to file their disclosures late, some of them have exceeded those deadlines, according to Spaulding.
“Everybody seems to know how to follow it,” he said. “It’s not heavy.”
Santos is scheduled to return to court in his criminal case in October.
