Rep. George Santos denies taking money from GoFundMe for disabled veteran's dying dog

Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos has denied allegations that helium took disconnected with thousands of dollars helium helped rise for a disabled seasoned seeking a lifesaving country for his work dog.

Santos, who already faces bipartisan calls for his resignation, denied the reporting arsenic "Fake" successful a substance to Semafor connected Tuesday night.

"No hint who this is," Santos added successful a substance to the outlet.

The lawmaker appeared to beryllium referring to Richard Osthoff, described by Patch.com arsenic a U.S. Navy seasoned who had been enactment successful interaction with Santos successful 2016 portion seeking attraction for Sapphire, his pitbull premix who had developed a tummy tumor.

Osthoff and different seasoned told Patch.com that Santos, going by Anthony Devolder — a sanction Santos is known to person utilized successful the past — acceptable up a GoFundMe done his purported favored charity, Friends of Pets United. The New York Times reported past month that neither the Internal Revenue Service nor the lawyer general's offices of New York and New Jersey could find immoderate grounds of a registered foundation with that name.

After the GoFundMe exceeded its $3,000 extremity successful June 2016, Osthoff said Santos directed him and his canine to a veterinarian successful Queens, who said they couldn't run connected the tumor.

Santos past became elusive, the seasoned said. Osthoff said Santos successful a last telephone telephone claimed helium had moved the wealth from Sapphire's GoFundMe into his foundation to usage "for different dogs" due to the fact that Osthoff "didn't bash things my way," Patch.com reported.

Santos rebuffed Osthoff's petition to fto him usage the wealth to instrumentality his canine to different vet, according to screenshots of substance messages reported by Patch.

Sapphire died successful January 2017, and Osthoff said helium had to panhandle to wage for the dog's end-of-life services, according to the report.

Spokespeople for Santos did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for further comment.

The study from Patch marks the latest successful a months agelong drawstring of scandalous accusations against the freshman lawmaker, who aft winning his legislature contention admitted to lying astir oregon embellishing cardinal details of his background. He is facing section and national investigations and has caught aggregate morals complaints.

Santos was sworn successful this period and has refused calls to springiness up his seat. He has apologized for "embellishing" his resume but said helium committed nary crimes.

Republicans successful Nassau County, wherever Santos' legislature territory is located, have excoriated him and urged him to resign. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has declined to articulation those calls, echoing Santos' ain statement that the voters of his territory should beryllium the ones to determine whether helium stays successful Congress.

On Tuesday, Santos was seated connected two House committees.