Endorsement: Robert Zimmerman for US Congress (NY3)

This newspaper would like to endorse a Republican for US Congress in NY3 (Oyster Bay, N Hempstead, NE Queens). But the GOP nominee - George Santos - is so bizarre, unprincipled and sketchy that we cannot. We endorse Democrat Robert Zimmerman.

Santos calls himself "a contradiction” - a "gay Latino," who is "ultra-MAGA," and who vacations with his new husband at Trump's Mar-A-Lago, praising Trump as “awesome.” But he then supports extreme leftist schemes like “black reparations from white people.”

Santos has been all over the map on abortion - and on Ukraine. He brags about his “wealth” and his “mansions” in the Hamptons – but he really lives in a row house in Queens. He boasts like an insecure child - but he's most likely just a fabulist - a fake.

One fact, however: In 2020 Santos, then age 32, was the NY Director of a nearly $20 million venture fund called "Harbor City Capital" - until the SEC shut it down as a "Ponzi Scheme." Over $6 million from investors was stolen - for personal luxuries like Mercedes cars, huge credit card bills, and a waterfront home - and millions from new investors were paid out to old investors. Classic Bernie Madoff "Ponzi scheme" fraud.

Santos’ campaign raises similar concerns. On paper Santos has raised over $2 million. But the money seems to have vanished - or never been there. Huge sums are listed with the FEC for personal expenses - like Brooks Brothers, Florida beach resorts, lavish restaurants and limo services - but many hundreds of thousands more disappear into a black hole of dubious "consulting fees."

Santos himself claims to have loaned his campaign nearly $600,000 - but he refuses - illegally - to file his federal financial disclosures. The last one he filed - in 2020 - shows Santos had no assets over $5,000. So where did $600,000 come from ? Or is it even real ? Fed-up Republicans are now calling him "George Scam-tos."

Santos had no visible campaign until a few weeks ago - no offices, no signs, no mailings, no significant "voter contact." Instead, he spent the summer supporting the Nancy Pelosi Democrats fraudulent "Pied Piper" challenges against real Republicans. Why would any normal GOP candidate do virtually nothing for his own campaign - except spend money to "party on the beach" - while trying to sabotage other Republicans? The possible answers to that question are disturbing.

The Democratic nominee, Robert Zimmerman, pledges to follow in outgoing Congressman Tom Suozzi's bi-partisan suburban footsteps. Zimmerman is the party's National Committeeman from New York. And he is a gentleman. When longtime Nassau Republican Chair Joe Mondello passed away this summer - Zimmerman served in the funeral - as one of the late GOP Chairman’s pallbearers.

The Leader endorses Robert Zimmerman for US Congress.