FEC raises questions about Santos campaign finance reports

ALBANY — The Federal Elections Commission has told embattled Rep.-elect George Santos to explain why his campaign filings failed to adequately identify some contributors and why three donors appear to have exceeded contribution limits.

The FEC letter dated Wednesday said failure to respond to the questions by Feb. 8 “could result in an audit or enforcement action.” The letter also said, “If any contribution you received exceeds the limits, you may have to refund the excessive amount."

Santos, leaving his congressional office for the House chamber on Thursday afternoon, did not respond to repeated questions about the FEC filings. A request for comment from his lawyer in Great Neck wasn’t immediately returned.

Santos, a Republican, has acknowledged that he fabricated much of his biographical information, including work history and education, used in winning the 3rd Congressional District seat in November. Discrepancies in Santos’ background were first reported by The New York Times after Santos was elected.

Santos is awaiting the election of a speaker of the House, which was delayed a third day Thursday. After that, he could be sworn in as the congressman for the district that includes part of northern Nassau County and northeast Queens.

The FEC is asking Santos’ campaign fund, the Devolder Santos Nassau Victory Committee, to identify the employer name and occupation of three contributors. The donors are identified in Santos’ financial disclosure record as “Best Efforts/Best Efforts,” “NYCBS/MD” and NYCBS/Self Employed.”

Federal law requires that donors’ employers and occupations be identified as a guard against violations of campaign finance limits and conflicts of interest under federal election law. The FEC also said Santos must prove in detail that his campaign’s “best efforts” were used to obtain the missing information.

The FEC also states three contributions to Santos’ joint fundraising committee appear to exceed the limit over a two-year election cycle for a candidate for Congress. The FEC cites Matthew Bruderman, who is listed as contributing $25,000 to Santos’ campaign on Sept. 6 and another $1,000 the same day; Todd O’Connell who is reported to have contributed $25,000 on Sept. 2, and Jeff Vacirca, who is listed as contributing $25,000, also on Sept. 2.

Bruderman, O’Connell and Vacirca didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. 

The FEC identifies Bruderman as an investor with a Locust Valley address. The Bruderman Asset Management company has a Long Island address in Locust Valley, according to the company website. Bruderman was appointed last year by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as chairman of the Nassau Healthcare Corp. and Nassau University Medical Center.

Vacirca and O’Connell are top officials at New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, a Port Jefferson Station-based oncology practice that has expanded significantly across Long Island and New York City in recent years.

Reached on his cellphone Thursday, Vacirca, a physician and the company CEO, said he was in an appointment and couldn’t speak to a reporter. He subsequently did not respond to messages seeking comment. O’Connell, the company president, didn’t return a voicemail and text message.

A New York Cancer & Blood spokeswoman also didn’t respond to a request for comment.

With Tom Brune and Laura Figueroa Hernandez in Washington, Paul LaRocco and Scott Eidler.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.