A disabled veteran accused newly-elected Rep. George Santos of keeping the fundraising money raised for his service dog’s lifesaving surgery.
Richard Osthoff, a U.S. Navy veteran who was homeless said a vet tech told him about ‘Anthony Devolder’, who ran Friends of Pets United, a pet charity, that could possibly help raise the $3,000 for the pup’s surgery.
This is the same pet charity Santos listed on his resume yet the IRS has no such record of that charity.
As we discovered, Anthony Devolder is one of the aliases that Santos has used in the past. But when good-hearted folks donated the money, Osthoff suddenly found Devolder (aka Santos) hard to find.
In a November 2016 Facebook post, Osthoff told supporters that he had been “scammed by Anthony Devolder” and that his beloved dog Sapphire was facing euthanasia. Sapphire died soon after.
“Little girl never left my side in 10 years,” Osthoff said “I went through two bouts of seriously considering suicide, but thinking about leaving her without me saved my life. I loved that dog so much, I inhaled her last breaths when I had her euthanized.”
Santos faces multiple federal and local investigations after revelations that he fabricated much of his background, including his education, work experience and heritage, and he is also being investigated for campaign finance violations.
But this has to be the lowest of the low.