A military veteran, Richard Osthoff, has spoken out against former Rep. George Santos (N.Y.), claiming that Santos stole thousands from a fundraiser intended for his sick dog back in 2016. He also criticized President Trump for commuting the sentences of convicted felons.
Osthoff expressed his feelings during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Jansing, stating that Santos hadn’t eaten since Trump’s pardon. He emphatically remarked, “It’s like being stabbed in the gut with a knife.”
He labeled the situation as disgraceful, indicating that Trump’s actions showcase a persistent disregard for veterans, remarking, “This is yet another example of his longstanding disdain for our military and veterans.” Furthermore, he accused Trump of misusing his pardon power “like a bludgeon against everything that is decent and good and sacred.”
In a 2023 disclosure, Osthoff and a former police sergeant, Michael Bol, revealed that Santos, who went by Anthony Devolder at the time, had abruptly closed a GoFundMe page set up for Osthoff’s dog, Sapphire, after gathering around $3,000. Sadly, Sapphire passed away in January 2017, and Osthoff mentioned he had to “bribe” for the euthanasia and cremation costs.
Santos, age 37, only served about three months of an 87-month sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after pleading guilty in August 2024.
Per a commutation document, pardon attorney Ed Martin shared that Santos is now relieved from repaying about $374,000 in damages owed to individuals he defrauded during his congressional campaign.
In a recent comment to CNN, Santos indicated he would only make payments if mandated by law, to which Osthoff responded, “I’m not surprised he doesn’t want to pay it back. He’s laughing all the way to the bank now.”
After going public with the accusations against Santos in 2023, Osthoff welcomed a new dog, thanks to Beth Ostrosky Stern, Howard Stern’s wife. He now lives in New Jersey with three dogs.
Despite the support he’s received from many individuals, Osthoff admits he still feels a deep anger toward Santos. Reflecting on Sapphire, he stated, “I love her. It almost feels healed, but it still hurts every time I see him.”
