Aide fired by George Santos says sending money to Republican congressman got him job
A man who worked briefly as an aide to Rep. George Santos says he got the job after sending a series of payments to one of the top Republican lawmakers. Video above: Rep. George Santos faces federal liability Derek Myers, 31, tells staff. The House Ethics Subcommittee said in an interview Wednesday that he had paid $150 to Santos’s head of operations, Vish Bulla, at least seven times when he was seeking a job in Santos’ congressional office in late January. announced that he had sent the money. Myers gave details of the payment. Correspondence with the Associated Press, including receipts and text his messages. Myers has never reported how Buller helped him with his own employment, raising questions about possible ethical improprieties around Santos. Myers said he began sending money unilaterally because he believed that Mr. Buller, a right-wing political operative, was not being paid. It was near the House of Commons at the time and I couldn’t afford to buy food. But Myers also said he hopes the payment will help him secure a job. “Mr Boula was an influential figure,” Myers told The Associated Press. “I wanted him to defend me on my behalf.” Mr. Bulla declined to comment. House investigators questioned Mr. Myers about the payment recorded on the receipt. Myers, a former journalist, received a job offer as legislative assistant in late January, but his tenure lasted less than a year. The week he’s in that position. At the time, Santos told Myers that he was concerned about the results of a background check that revealed he had been charged with wiretapping in Ohio after releasing the court recording. In a February letter to the House Ethics Committee, Myers said: He was expelled after refusing Santos’ sexual advances and accusing the lawmaker of running his hand inside his leg and touching his crotch when they were alone in his office. The commission is investigating several allegations of impropriety by Mr. Santos, who has admitted to fabricating much of his own biography and is currently facing federal charges including fraud and money laundering. indicted on charges. House Republicans addressed the issue last month, avoiding a vote to expel Santos. To the Ethics Committee. The commission did not say who it was interviewing or when a decision would be made. On Wednesday, committee members spent two hours questioning Myers about allegations of sexual harassment, his relationship with Bra, and whether he witnessed any misconduct during the trial. Myers said he found Buller online and pushed for a job in Santos’ office out of a desperate desire to help scandal-stricken representatives. Myers also provided documents such as emails and text messages with staff and receipts showing his resume. Venmo pays Buller He said in an interview that Mr. Myers said in an interview that Buller didn’t ask for money, but once asked to “send me more pizza,” which was the pizza previously used in the Venmo case. I took it as a reference to the emoji of House investigators asked Mr. Myers about a text message he exchanged with Mr. Bulla on January 29, just days after his offer. During the exchange, Myers asked Barra, “Have you gotten your salary yet?” I will definitely return the money,” he added. During an interview with a House investigator, he admitted to secretly recording at least one conversation with Santos, which he later shared with a journalist. He also said he came to the FBI with the possibility of working as a confidential law enforcement informant while at Santos, and that he decided to speak out about harassment cases after being forced to retire.
A man who briefly worked as an aide to Rep. George Santos said he got the job after making a series of money transfers to one of the leading Republican congressmen.
Video Above: Rep. George Santos Faces Federal Indictment
Derek Myers, 31, told staff of the House Ethics Subcommittee in an interview on Wednesday that he had tried to take a job in Santos’s congressional office in late January, but had been criticized by Bish, Santos’s chief of operations, at least seven times.・He said he sent $150 to Bra. .
Myers shared payment details, including receipts and text messages, with The Associated Press. Burra’s account of how he helped hire him has never been reported, raising questions about potential ethical improprieties around Santos. is occurring.
Mr. Myers said he started sending money unilaterally because Mr. Bulla, a right-wing political operative, was not receiving a salary from the House at the time and could not afford to pay for food. But he also said he hopes the payment will help him secure a job.
“Mr Boula was an influential figure,” Myers told the Associated Press. “I wanted him to defend me on my behalf.”
Mr. Bra, a dependable sidekick of Mr. Santos who helped keep him away from journalists after he was arraigned in federal court last month, declined to comment.
House investigators questioned Mr. Myers about payments recorded on receipts and text messages as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace after Mr. Santos’ staff was fired in February.
Myers, a former journalist, received a job offer as legislative assistant in late January, but took less than a week to get the job. At the time, Santos told Myers that he was concerned about the results of a background check that found Myers indicted for wiretapping in Ohio after releasing a recording of the trial.
Myers, in a letter to the House Ethics Committee in February, said he was fired for refusing Santos’ sexual advances, and said he was inside Santos’ leg when the two were alone in his office. He accused him of touching his crotch with his hand.
Santos denied the allegations, calling them “ludicrous.”
The House Ethics Committee is investigating several allegations of impropriety by Santos, who has admitted to fabricating much of his biography and is currently facing federal crimes such as fraud and money laundering. has been prosecuted for
Last month, Republicans in the House sidestepped a resolution to oust Santos and referred the matter to the Ethics Committee. The committee did not say who it was meeting with or when a decision would be made.
On Wednesday, committee members spent two hours questioning Myers about allegations of sexual harassment, his relationship with Bra, and whether he witnessed any misconduct during his short tenure.
He said he found Mr. Buller online and offered him a job in Mr. Santos’ office out of a strong desire to help the scandal-stricken president.
Myers also provided Burra with documents such as emails and text messages with staff and receipts showing payments made at Venmo.
Myers said in an interview that Bra didn’t ask for money, but once asked to “send me more pizza,” which they had previously used in a Venmo subject line. I took it as a reference to the pizza emoji.
House investigators asked Mr. Myers about a text message he exchanged with Mr. Bra on January 29, just days after his offer. During the exchange, Mr. Myers asked Mr. Bulla, “Have you gotten your salary yet?”
“No, I didn’t have to do him,” Ms. Buller replied, later adding, “I will pay you back.”
In an interview with a House investigator, Myers admitted to secretly recording at least one conversation with Santos and later sharing it with journalists. He also said he went to the FBI while working at Santos, possibly with the intention of working as a confidential law enforcement informant.
He said he decided to speak out about harassment cases after being forced to retire.
https://www.wgal.com/article/aide-fired-by-george-santos-says-he-got-his-job-after-sending-money-to-republicans-deputy/44066500 Aide fired by George Santos says sending money to Republican congressman got him job