Even Santos far-right allies are seeking distance from him

Among the few allies Rep. George Santos has sought to maintain during his brief time in the political spotlight is a group of young Republicans with connections to white nationalists, conservative conspiracy theorists and far-right European parties.

The New York Young Republican Club has feted and supported a roster of relatively extreme figures, including several far-right leaders in the U.S. and Europe. Over the past few weeks, Congress most beleaguered member has turned to the group for help.

Santos, who has been a regular member of The New York Young Republican Club since at least 2019, donated $3,750 to it through his campaign committee between 2020 and 2021, according to FEC filings. He hired the groups executive secretary, Viswanag Burra, as the congressmans operations director a senior role in the congressmans Washington, D.C. office.

And as scrutiny of Santos has intensified, hes reached out to others at the club.

The clubs president, Gavin Wax, who, per FEC records, gave $500 to Santos joint fundraising committee in September, told POLITICO that the congressman called him last weekend. He didnt say much beyond how stressed he is and asking me how Ive been, Wax said. I think he just wanted to speak to someone.