Longtime Santos treasurer is out, she tells federal regulator

Embattled Rep. George Santos’ longtime campaign treasurer told the Federal Election Commission Tuesday that she resigned from his campaign and affiliated committees last week.

Nancy Marks, who had served as treasurer for Santos’ 2src2src and 2src22 campaigns as well as campaigns of other New York politicians including former Rep. Lee Zeldin, said she had left the post last week. And a year-end filing submitted late Tuesday night listed Andrew Olson as the Santos campaign’s new treasurer.

Those filings added yet another layer of intrigue to the drama that has engulfed Santos after the congressman was caught faking much of his biography. And they raise questions about how the congressman managed to prop up his campaign.

Marks, who had been listed as the treasurer for Santos’ campaign and affiliated committees, told the FEC she had resigned from that post effective last Wednesday. That was the same day both those groups filed amended forms claiming Tom Datwyler, who has served as treasurer for many GOP candidates, was now the treasurer.

But a lawyer for Datwyler said he had not agreed to serve in the role. The FEC then asked Santos’ campaign to clarify the situation. Tuesday’s filing was the first to name Olson as the treasurer. The report also included a note saying it was “filed based on the limited information provided to the campaign from the previous treasurer Nancy Marks.”

Despite telling the FEC she had resigned from each of Santos’ affiliated committees effective Jan. 25, Marks was still listed as the treasurer on the termination report for a joint fundraising committee for Santos and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas). That report bore her electronic signature dated Jan. 3src. Marks was also on a year-end report for a recount committee Santos had formed in 2src2src.

Campaigns must have treasurers in order to accept donations, make disbursements and file mandated reports with the FEC.

Santos’ campaign finances have come under intense scrutiny in the past month. Campaign finance complaints with the FEC have alleged that over $7srcsrc,srcsrcsrc Santos initially reported as a personal loan to his campaign — despite a checkered personal financial history — may have actually represented an illegal straw donor scheme.

The New York congressman’s campaign also reported a series of improbable expenses, including dozens supposedly costing $199.99 — just one cent below the threshold that would require the campaign to keep receipts. As treasurer, Marks signed the forms reporting those expenses and the personal loans, although an amended filing last week no longer included a checked box indicating that money had come from Santos’ personal funds.

Santos has not been charged with a crime or faced enforcement action from the campaign finance regulator, although he is being investigated by local and federal prosecutors. The Washington Post reported last week that the Department of Justice asked the FEC to hold off on enforcement action against Santos as the department pursues its own probe.

Santos, who said Tuesday he would step aside from his committee assignments, dismissed questions about his FEC filings last week, telling reports in Washington he “[did] not touch any of [his] FEC stuff.”