Ex-Aide To George Santos Says He Paid The Lawmaker's Deputy To Get Job

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A former aide of Rep. George Santos said he paid one of the lawmaker's top deputies to land his job.

Derek Myers, 31, said that while he was trying to get his job in Santos' congressional office, he sent at least seven $150 payments to Santos' director of operations, Vish Burra.

“Burra was a powerful person,” Myers told the Associated Press. “I wanted him to advocate on my behalf.”

Myers told staff of the House’s ethics subcommittee, which launched an investigation looking into Santos' campaign in March, on Wednesday that he started sending the money unsolicited because he believed Burra wasn’t getting paid by the House at the time.

In February, Myers accused the embattled Republican of making sexual approaches toward him, such as touching Myers' groin and asking if he had a Grindr profile.

House investigators questioned Myers about the payments, documented in receipts and text messages, as part of a probe into the workplace sexual harassment allegations.

Myers, a former journalist, received a job offer to be a legislative assistant in late January, but lasted less than a week in the position.

At the time, Santos told Myers he was concerned by the findings of a background check, which showed Myers had been charged with wiretapping in Ohio after publishing a recording of a trial.

On Wednesday, members of the committee spent two hours questioning Myers about his sexual harassment allegations, his relationship with Burra, and whether he’d witnessed any illegal behavior during his short time in the office.

Last month, Santos faced 13 counts of money laundering and fraud charges and pleaded not guilty after he was arrested in Long Island. Santos, 34, was released from custody on a $500,000 bond after making the plea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.