Two veterans based in New Jersey have voiced their claims that Congressman George Santos had agreed to fundraise for a life-saving operation for one of their dogs in 2016, only to disappear with the proceeds. These allegations have arisen as Santos is under fire for falsifying his academic, job, and family background.
Rich Osthoff, a veteran, revealed that his pit bull Sapphire had a tumor that started to grow in 2015 and continued to worsen in 2016. Osthoff was also homeless at the time.
Michael Boll, a mentor and friend of Osthoff, is the founder of New Jersey Veterans Network. Boll announced that Santos had created a GoFundMe to help cover the expenses of Osthoff’s pit bull, Sapphire. Furthermore, a post from George Devolder’s Facebook profile links to a GoFundMe page which is raising money to cover the costs of Sapphire’s surgery.
Osthoff and Boll informed CNN that a fundraiser for Osthoff’s dog was able to generate approximately $3,000. However, when Osthoff tried to receive the money from GoFundMe, things took a turn. Santos became unhelpful and unaccommodating, causing it to be difficult for Osthoff to access the funds.
According to Osthoff, Santos allegedly told him that he had to take his pet to a veterinarian of Santos’ own selectio. Later on, Santos claimed that another clinic could not accept his method of payment. Osthoff stated that he was required to go through a lot of trouble and follow Santos’ instructions specifically.
Eventually, Santos informed Osthoff that he would not receive the payment. The deteriorating animal passed away approximately six months later.