Listen to George Santos lie to a Seattle judge in 2017

From: POLITICO New York Playbook PM - Friday Feb 24,2023 09:57 pm

Feb 24, 2023

Presented by Vacancy NYC

In 2017, George Santos told a Seattle judge a biographical detail that was indeed true.

“I am an aspiring politician,” Santos said in King County Superior Court, two years before he launched his first congressional bid and five years before he captured a Long Island swing seat based on a largely fabricated campaign résumé.

He was speaking at a bail hearing for a “family friend” named Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha who later pleaded guilty to fraud in an ATM skimming scheme, according to an audio recording obtained exclusively by Jacqueline Sweet for POLITICO.

The second part of Santos’ answer to the judge, who’d asked what he did for work, was not true.

“I work for Goldman Sachs,” Santos said.

“You work for Goldman Sachs in New York?” the judge asked.

“Yup,” Santos responded.

After The New York Times broke the story detailing the many mistruths Santos spun about his background, he admitted in a New York Post interview that he “never worked directly” for Goldman Sachs.

Then Santos told the judge at the hearing he would secure “a long extended-stay apartment through Airbnb” in Seattle for the defendant if he was released on bail.

“‘How do you know this man?’ the judge asked.

“We’re family friends. Our parents know each other from Brazil,’ Santos said.

But Trelha said Santos lied about their relationship. They weren’t family friends. They’d met through a Facebook group for Brazilians living in Florida. Santos' attorney did not return messages.

Trelha was ultimately deported to Brazil in early 2018 after serving seven months in jail and pleading guilty to felony access device fraud.

A message from Vacancy NYC:

Thousands of affordable rent-stabilized apartments are sitting vacant across NYC. But they are in need of critical renovations and repairs before they can be rented again. Red tape, inflation, and supply chain issues are the problem. Albany can be the solution. Join our efforts to solve the housing crisis and help New Yorkers access the affordable homes they deserve.

From the Capitol

Kathy Hochul speaks.

Whether Hochul’s proposal satisfies backers of the Build Public Renewables Act will shape the discussion as lawmakers parse through her budget and begin negotiations in the coming months. | Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

HOUSING: Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday allocated millions in funding to combat housing discrimination. Hochul added $2.2 million to expand New York's Fair Housing Testing Program, which deploys people to act as potential renters or buyers. The state works with six nonprofits to conduct the undercover tests and root out any unlawful discriminatory treatment by sellers, brokers and landlords. The program also funds training events and social media messaging. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo set up the program in 2021, a few years after a bombshell Newsday investigation uncovered widespread evidence of unequal treatment by real estate agents on Long Island. — Danielle Muoio Dunn

From City Hall

Deputy Mayor Phil Banks Hosts a Public Safety Briefing

Deputy Mayor Banks hosts a public safety briefing with NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, and other public safety officials. City Hall, Friday, February 24, 2023. | Caroline Willis/Mayoral Photo Office

SAFETY PANEL: Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks gathered several commissioners together for a panel on public safety Friday, an indication of both the administration’s desire to project progress to New Yorkers and of Banks’ rising station within the Adams administration. “The overall goal is to actually let the public know exactly what we’re doing and to solicit as much feedback as we possibly can,” Banks said of the panel, which the city plans to repeat going forward.

Banks ceded the floor to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell to tout a drop in subway crime, to FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh to discuss the fire hazards of lithium-ion batteries, to Sheriff Anthony Miranda to explain enforcement at illegal cannabis shops and Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina to discuss new rules requiring DOC employees to be scanned before entering Rikers Island to cut down on contraband. Banks has largely avoided public question-and-answer sessions — he fielded queries from two New Yorkers and several reporters Friday — since being named to the role early in the administration. But he has nevertheless assumed an increasingly broad profile in the Adams administration. In addition to periodic public safety briefings, he was recently placed in charge of a new Office of Risk Management and Compliance that will investigate whether city agencies are providing adequate services to taxpayers.

When asked to describe his role in the administration and how it differed from the police commissioner, the deputy mayor declined to elaborate. “I’m in this role because the person who was elected mayor has the authority to appoint a deputy mayor of public safety,” he said, referring to Mayor Eric Adams. “And he believed that I should be the person in this particular role, and that’s why I’m in that role. End of story. Bottom line.” — Joe Anuta

A message from Vacancy NYC:

On the Beats

FILM TAX CREDIT: Two City Council committees will meet on Tuesday for an oversight hearing on the film industry’s expansion in New York, as Gov. Kathy Hochul considers increasing the state’s tax break for TV and movie productions. Among the groups expected to participate are representatives from the Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, according to City Hall. NYC & Company, the city’s official marketing arm, will also be there along with some industry executives. Earlier this month Hochul proposed boosting the film tax credit from $420 million to $700 million starting 2024. It comes as the city seems to be losing its battle with New Jersey to attract productions, despite some criticism over the credit’s benefits. — Zachary Schermele

ENERGY ASSISTANCE ASK: New York’s Congressional delegation, led by Rep. Dan Goldman, is pressing for more funding to help low-income households with their utility bills. They’re asking leadership for $500 million in additional money for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The request comes amid high energy costs and record arrears, which New York state has also been chipping in to pay down. The letter was sent to Congressional leaders and signed by Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Pat Ryan, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres, Jamaal Bowman, Nydia Velázquez, Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat and Brian Higgins. The letter highlights the assistance that would also be available to people who heat their homes with oil and kerosene, where prices have also been on the rise.

“An estimated one million New Yorkers are eligible for LIHEAP but do not receive assistance due to it being underfunded, which is one of the highest underserved populations in the nation,” the letter states. “Supplemental LIHEAP funding would allow us to help many more seniors and families as costs rise and families struggle to keep up.” — Marie J. French

AROUND NEW YORK

— City Hall and other city buildings will be lit up in blue and yellow to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Adams announced.

— Hudson Valley businesses and municipalities will have access to $150 million to use for housing and infrastructure, Gov. Hochul said. (Times Union)

— More New Yorkers are getting sick to their stomachs. Could the norovirus be to blame? (WNYC)

— Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan skipped out on a City Council hearing on his venue’s controversial use of facial recognition technology. (New York Daily News)

A message from Vacancy NYC:

NYC is facing a severe housing shortage. While new housing desperately needs to be built, Albany lawmakers can also make progress by creating a path for tens of thousands of vacant rent-stabilized apartments to come back online. Before that can happen, these homes need critical repairs and renovations. But problems like regulatory changes, supply chain issues, and inflation have made these costs skyrocket. 75% of rent-stabilized property owners say that they have been forced to delay maintenance and important upgrades due to financial hardship. Learn more about the problem and the solution at VacancyNYC.org.

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