Santos’ lies solid harsh spotlight on a highly efficient Republican

>>> THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS AND THE LIES THATE HAS TOLD ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND ARE PUTTING INCREASING PRESSURE ON KEY MEMBERS OF HOUSE GOP LEADERSHIP. >> CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT PAMELA BROWN JOINS.

US NOW WITH MORE. SO, ELISE STEFANICK, GOP CONFERENCE CHAIR NUMBER FOUR IN THE GOP LEADERSHIP SHOWED PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THIS RACE. >> SHE ABSOLUTELY DID, JIM. SHE WAS ONE OF SANTOS' BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS THROUGHOUT THE.

CAMPAIGN. SHE'S THE NUMBER FOUR REPUBLICAN, AS YOU POINT OUT, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THE MOST INFLUENTIAL REPUBLICAN IN HER HOME STATE OF NEW YORK. A SENIOR REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGNS TOLD ME, QUOTE, STEFANICK'S TEAM WAS.

LASER-FOCUSED ON ELECTING SANTOS TO CONGRESS, MORE THAN JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER RACE IN THE COUNTRY. NOW, STEFANICK INSISTS SHE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SANTOS' PATTERN OF DECEPTION UNTIL “THE NEW YORK TIMES” REVEALED THAT HE MADE UP STORIES ABOUT HIS PAST,.

INCLUDING LIES ABOUT HIS SCHOOL, JOBS, AND FAMILY HISTORY. BUT THROUGHOUT THE SANTOS CAMPAIGN, STEFANICK WAS A SIGNIFICANT SUPPORTER, AND WE SPOKE TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO DONATED TO SANTOS'S CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING ONE MAN WHO GAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, WHO.

SAID STEFANICK'S SUPPORT INFLUENCED THEM TO DONATE. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE WITHOUT STEFANICK. STEFANICK ENDORSED SANTOS EARLY IN HIS CAMPAIGN, MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND HER TWEET INCLUDED A LINK TO A FUND-RAISING PAGE THAT WOULD.

BENEFIT BOTH HER AND SANTOS. AND SHE LATER TWEET THAT A LUNCH EVENT RAISED OVER 100,000 TO HELP GEORGE FLIP NEW YORK DISTRICT THREE, AS YOU SEE. ONE DONOR WHO WAS AT THAT LUNCH TOLD CNN THAT THE ONLY REASON THEY DONATED WAS BECAUSE OF STEFANICK, AND SANTOS HIMSELF.

UNDERSTOOD THE POWER OF STEFANICK'S ENDORSEMENT, AS WELL. HE USED A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM AS THE BANNER IMAGE FOR HIS TWITTER PAGE, UP UNTIL LAST WEEK. REPUBLICAN CONSULTANTS SAID THEY FIRST HEARD OF SANTOS'S ISSUES.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, BUT IT'S UNCLEAR HOW MANY SO MANY PROS IN THE POLITICAL ARENA LET SANTOS SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS. OF COURSE, THOUGH, JIM, THERE WAS AN INCENTIVE FOR REPUBLICANS. THEY WANTED THAT SEAT. KEVIN McCARTHY, FOR HIS PART,.

THEY NEEDED HIS VOTE, RIGHT? KEVIN McCARTHY, WHO SAID HE ALWAYS KNEW THERE WERE CONCERNS WITH HIS RESUME, HOSTED A FUND-RAISING BREAKFAST FOR HIM. >> AS YOU SAY, THEY KNEW OR AT LEAST GOT SIGNALS ABOUT THIS MONTHS BEFORE THE ELECTION. >> YEAH.

>> AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, PAMELA, THE CONCERN TOO HERE IS, SHE'S A VERY POWERFUL NEW YORK REPUBLICAN, AS WE KNOW. ELISE STEFANICK HAS ENDORSED A NUMBER OF CANDIDATES. THIS ONE, THOUGH, UNDERSTANDABLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE SO MANY RED FLAGS.

THAT WERE MISSED. >> EXACTLY. SO MANY RED FLAGS AND I THINK, ALSO, I MEAN, SHE WAS INVOLVED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT RACES, BUT IN THIS CASE, SHE DIDN'T JUST ENDORSE AND HELP FUND-RAISER FOR SANTOS, ACCORDING TO THE SOURCES THAT WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH.

ONE OF HER TOP AIDS WAS ACTUALLY ADVISING HIS CAMPAIGN. WE SHOULD NOTE, THERE'S NO RECORD, IT WAS IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY, BUT WE'RE TOLD HE EVEN HELPED SANTOS HIRE PEOPLE. SO WHEN WE ASKED STEFANICK FOR COMMENT, HER SPOKESPERSON SAID, NO ONE FROM HER TEAM WORKED OR.

ADVISED SANTOS, AND HE SENT HIM THIS STATEMENT THAT READS IN PART, CONGRESSWOMAN STEFANICK SUPPORTED ALL GOP NOMINEES AND TARGETED NEW YORK SEATS JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER REPUBLICAN NEW YORK OFFICIAL, AND THE ENTIRE HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP TEAM.

>> PAMELA BROWN, FASCINATING STUFF. THANKS SO MUCH. >> THANK. >>> SQUEEZE AND SHAM THAT IS HOW THE WHITE HOUSE IS PLANNING TO TARGET 18 USE REPUBLICANS FROM DISTRICTS WHERE VOTERS SUPPORTED PRESIDENT BIDEN.

OVER FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IN 2020. FOR BIDEN AND HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS THEY BELIEVE THIS IS THE PATHWAY TO A MAJORITY IN 2024. ISAAC JOINS US WITH THIS REPORTING. WHAT DID YOU FIND TALKING TO THESE BIDEN ALLIES, WHITE HOUSE.

OFFICIALS, PLANNING TO GET THE DISTRICT BLUE AGAIN. >> THIS IS THINKING FORWARD TO NOVEMBER AND HOW THEY CAN OFFER CAR CARROTS. INVITATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT'S BOX OR THE KENNEDY CENTER. AND STICKS, FLYING THE PRESIDENT.

ON AIR FORCE ONE, ALL OF THIS WITH THE IDEA THERE'S A SLIM MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE FOR REPUBLICANS, THINKING IN THE 18 DISTRICTS BIDEN DID BETTER IN 2020, REPRESENTED BY THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS NOW, THAT'S THE WAY TO THE MAJORITY — BACK TO THE MAJORITY FOR DEMOCRATS IN.

NOVEMBER OF NEXT YEAR. BUT IT'S ALSO MAYBE A WAY TO SQUEEZE THOSE REPUBLICANS, THINKING ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS TO WORK WITH THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE WAY THEY WANT TO DO SOME GOVERNING IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. >> I THOUGHT THE QUOTE YOU HAVE.

IN YOUR STORY FROM MIKE LAWLER, THAT REPUBLICAN HERE IN NEW YORK, HE SAID SPEAKING ABOUT THE EFFORTS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, AREN'T THEY GOING TO WORK TO GET US TO LOSE NEXT NOVEMBER NO MATTER WHAT? HOW IS THE WHITE HOUSE VIEWING THAT?.

>> Reporter: THIS IS POLITICS, WHAT IT IS. IT'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BREAKING POINT IS, ESSENTIALLY, HOW FAR PEOPLE LIKE MIKE LAWLER CAN BE PUSHED. LAWLER IS IN A DISTRICT THAT SUPPORTED BIDEN BY A HEAVY MARGIN COMPARED TO THE OTHER.

REPUBLICANS IN THE BIDEN DISTRICTS. YOU HAVE FIVE OTHER REPUBLICANS IN NEW YORK, SIX IN CALIFORNIA, THAT THE WHITE HOUSE AND HOUSE DEMOCRATS — OF COURSE ONE OF THOSE SEATS IS GEORGE SANTOS' DISTRICT. THAT DISTRICT WENT FOR BIDEN BY.

THE HIGHEST MARGIN OF ONE REPRESENTED BY A REPUBLICAN. AND THERE'S A SENSE THAT RACE COULD BE COMING UP SOON IF THERE'S A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR HIS SEAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS THERE. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING AT THIS POINT.

>> WE'LL SEE HOW THE MAP IS PLAYING OUT. GREAT REPORTING, ISAAC.

Sharing is caring!