Americas

George Santos Fundraiser Indicted for Impersonating Aide of Top House Republican

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Samuel Miele, a campaign fundraiser for recently-indicted lawmaker George Santos, was charged for allegedly impersonating a top aide of then-US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a court document revealed.
Sputnik
"In or about and between August 2021 and December 2021, the defendant SAMUEL MIELE falsely and without authorization impersonated Person #1, in both email and telephone communications with potential contributors, for the purpose of soliciting financial contributions to support the Campaign and enriching himself through commissions earned on these financial contributions to the Campaign," the document, filed on Tuesday, said.
"Person #1, an individual whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, was a high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities."
Although the aide’s name is not mentioned in the indictment, the organization End Citizens United in February said it filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission accusing Miele of impersonating Dan Meyer, the former McCarthy chief of staff, during the past two election cycles.
According to the court document, Miele even allegedly signed the emails with the staffer's name, according to the indictment.
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Over the scheme's monthslong span, Miele allegedly solicited contributions from more than one dozen potential contributors, receiving a 15% commission for his labor, according to the filing.
US media reported he also allegedly admitted to the identity theft in a message to Santos in September 2022.
Miele has pleaded not guilty and was released on a $150,000 bail, the report said.
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