NY Rep. Santos charged with defrauding his donors, stealing IDs – National & International News – TUE 10Oct2023

NY Rep. Santos charged with defrauding his donors, stealing IDs.

Afghanistan: Death toll approaching 3,000 after 6.3 earthquake.

NATIONAL NEWS

NY Rep. Santos charged with defrauding his donors, stealing IDs

In May this year, Rep. George Santos (R-NY, alias Anthony Zabrovsky, alias George Devolder, alias Anthony Devolder, alias Kitara Ravache), was hit with federal criminal charges that he had defrauded his own campaign, using funds he illegally obtained to purchase designer clothes and make car payments. At the same time, the federal attorney in the Eastern District of New York charged Santos with wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements to Congress, and theft of public funds. Santos pleaded not guilty to those charges, and has continually resisted calls from his fellow Republicans to resign from Congress.

Now the Eastern District New York has added 23 new charges. These include further acts of wire fraud, lying to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and falsifying documents submitted to the FEC, device fraud and identity theft. Santos’ campaign manager Nancy Marks is also implicated in some of this conduct and already pleaded guilty last week.

The new filing contains allegations that Santos stole the credit card information of campaign donors and made purchases and withdrawals from their accounts without their knowledge and in excess of FEC campaign finance limits. In one case, Santos allegedly withdrew $12,000 from a contributor’s account, the lion’s share of which wound up in Santos’ personal account.

Since winning his election in November last year, Santos has been exposed in numerous lies about his background, resume, and work history. His name (or names) have also been connected with countless instances of fraud, including defrauding a wounded veteran of money raised by the veteran’s family for a life-saving surgery for his service dog. 

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Afghanistan: Death toll approaching 3,000 after 6.3 earthquake

On the same day Hamas launched their deadly attack in Israel, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck in western Afghanistan. The quake struck near Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city, as people slept, leveling homes, destroying roads and burying thousands in rubble. So far, rescue efforts have struggled to reach certain areas, with rescuers only reaching some villages as late as today. The area also continues to experience powerful aftershocks that have force frightened residents to sleep outside. 

Images of the destruction of mudbrick homes are reminiscent of the total destruction of villages by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan last year that killed over 1000 people. Since the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021, living conditions have plummeted all over the country, making it difficult to obtain basics like food and medicine.

In Herat, Hospitals are unable to adequately meet the tremendous needs of victims. The Taliban has proven to be ill-equipped to respond to disasters. International organizations, notably UNICEF and other UN-affiliated aid groups, are attempting to step into the breach to bring water, medicine, food and other relief to the region. 

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