George Santos is under federal investigation after death of veteran’s service dog

Most people understand that politicians lie. That is how many of them are elected. And many politicians have stayed in power, telling people what they want to hear, not the truth.

But even politicians can go too far. When they do this, almost everyone rebels against them.

This may be exactly what is happening with alleged serial liar George Santos, a Republican from the north coast of Long Island, New York. Santos was elected to Congress in November, flipping a district that many thought a Democrat would win.

Santos is now under investigation by the FBI for allegedly receiving thousands of dollars donated to save a dying dog, Politico reported Wednesday.

It gets worse. The dog belonged to Richard Osthoff, a disabled veteran who was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2002.

To make it even more egregious, Osthoff was living in a tent in an abandoned chicken coop in New Jersey in 2016 when the incident took place.

The dog’s name was Sapphire. Patch revealed that she developed a life-threatening tumor and required surgery that would have cost Oosthoff $3,000, which he did not have. The future of Sapphire looked bleak.

The vet suggested a possible solution by telling Osthoff about a guy who ran a pet charity that could help.

According to Patch, the man’s name was Anthony Devolder. His favorite charity was Friends of Pets United.

Santos allegedly used the name Anthony Devolder as one of his aliases before entering politics in 2020.

Oesthoff said Dewolder/Santos set up a GoFundMe account for Sapphire and, of course, raised the $3,000 needed.

But Santos became difficult to reach after the GoFundMe page was set up in May 2016, he said. “I only talked to him on the phone two or three times,” Osthoff said, according to Patch.

On June 30, 2016, Osthoff wrote on Facebook: “We scored a goal and then some more.” He estimated that more than half of the donations came from his friends and acquaintances.

Looks like Sapphire had a chance to start a new life.

Not so fast.

Michael Ball, a retired police officer and New Jersey veteran who tried to help Osthoff in 2016, told Patch that the GoFundMe for the dying dog disappeared after he raised $3,000.

Osthoff then learned that Sapphire could not use his New Jersey veterinarian to treat the dog, but instead had to take her to a veterinarian in Queens, New York. Santos explained that he has “credit” for the practice because he used it for his charity.

“It was a tiny hole in the wall, but it looked perfectly legitimate,” Osthoff told Patch. “The vet said they couldn’t operate on the tumor.”

He was confused. A veterinarian from New Jersey did not express such concerns.

After that, Santos became elusive, so Osthoff sent him a message saying, “I’m starting to feel like I’ve been mined for donations from my family and friends.”

In the last phone call, Santos told Osthoff that because he “didn’t do it my way,” the fundraiser money was returned to charity, the veteran said.

Ball said he tried to help by contacting Santos and telling him he needed to either get the money back or use it to get Osthoffa another dog. Santos claimed he would use the money to help other animals. Ball told him he couldn’t because the money had been raised for Sapphire and Osthoff.

“He has PTSD and this dog is his lifeline,” Ball said of Osthoff, according to Patch. “When I first heard about it, I thought it would kill him.”

Sapphire died on January 15, 2017. Osthoff could not afford the euthanasia and cremation of the dog. “I had to beg. It was one of the most humiliating things I’ve ever had to do,” he told Patch.

“The little girl hasn’t left me in 10 years,” he said. “I had two bouts of serious suicidal thoughts, but the thought of leaving her without me saved my life. I loved this dog so much that I breathed her last breaths when I put her to sleep.”

Osthoff was contacted by two agents on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, Politico reported.

“I’m glad the big wig thing has moved on,” he told the publication. “I was worried that what happened to me was too long ago to file a criminal case.”

That’s not all Santos opposes. He is facing multiple criminal investigations for alleged lies on much of the resume he used to get elected to Congress.

According to CBS News, Santos recently stepped down from serving on House committees amid growing calls for his resignation.

According to a Newsday/Siena College poll, 78% of his voters said he should step down, including 71% of Republicans. An overwhelming 83% of his voters view him negatively, including 78% of Republicans.

According to Politico, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill last week that if the House Ethics Committee finds that Santos has broken the law, he will be expelled from Congress.

Cashing in on the potential income that could be generated by a disabled veteran’s dying dog borders on insanity.

If Santos is charged and convicted in this case, it should be the end of his political career.