Rep. George Santos pushes back on 'insane' reports he took funds for veteran's dying dog

Key Points

• "The reports that I would let a dog die is shocking & insane," embattled Republican Rep. George Santos tweeted.
• The tweet refers to allegations that Santos years earlier had disappeared with thousands of dollars raised in a GoFundMe to cover the costs of a surgery for a disabled veteran's dog's stomach tumor.
• Santos was already under fire and facing calls to resign after admitting he made up key parts of his resume.

Congressman-elect George Santos (R-NY) sits inside the House Chamber on the first day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, January 3, 2023.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

Navigating a swirling torrent of scandals and calls for his resignation, embattled Republican Rep. George Santos pushed back Thursday on one of the most damning allegations against him: that he took thousands of dollars intended to fund a surgery for a veteran's ailing dog.

"The reports that I would let a dog die is shocking & insane," the freshman lawmaker from New York tweeted Thursday morning. "My work in animal advocacy was the labor of love & hard work."