George Santos staffers kicking back despite being paid $300K by taxpayers
Nice work if you can get it.
Aides and staffers to disgraced former Rep. George Santos have collected over $300,000 in taxpayer-funded salaries — despite doing little work for constituents — since their boss was booted from Congress nearly two months ago.
In fact no one even answered the phone at Santos’ district offices in Douglaston and Jericho during business hours on Thursday and Friday. And when The Post visited the Douglaston office on Friday at 2:45 pm, it was closed, with no staffers or signs anywhere to be seen.
Yet his 15 staffers are still be paid to work — around $322,897 in salary for the period covering Santos’ absence, according to an estimate by The Post based on the office’s most recent
Multiple sources inside Santos’ office said staffers were still coming in but that work had slowed significantly. Santos’ old D.C. digs at the Longworth House Office Building have become a ghost town
“Our core mission is gone. We can’t do any legislative business. Constituents can come in but it’s kind of pointless,” said one senior staffer. He insisted the operations were standard for any office where a member unexpectedly departs.
“It’s unfortunate. We miss our function,” the staffer said.
The staff has remained gainfully employed since the the self-admitted fraudster was expelled on Dec. 1.
Noelle Young, a former Santos press secretary who answered the phone at his D.C. office, confirmed that “It’s not too busy, right now we are just getting prepared to leave.”
“Now people call mostly to see if this is Tom Suozzi’s office,” she added, referring to the Dem vying to fill the vacant seat.
Young insisted the district offices were staffed and claimed there was an “issue with their phones.”
“Our district offices are still helping constitutes, but as of Jan. 16 we are not taking new casework,” she said.
Santos’ staff can remain at full pay until a new Congress member is elected and officially replaces them. Santos’ staff is now overseen by by the Office of the Third Congressional District under the jurisdiction of the House Clerk.
A special election to fill the seat betꦏween former Democratic Rep🍬. Tom Suozzi and Republican Mazi Pilip is scheduled for Feb 13.
Young said most people still in San💙tos-land were more focused on finding a new job — something which has not been easy given♛ the circumstances.
