BALDWIN WAS REHEARSING ON SET
WITH THE GUN FIRED, KILLING SIN
CINEMATOGRAPHER HALYNA HUTCHINS.
>>> AND THIS IS IN NEW TODAY,
JUST GETTING WORD NA SOMEONE WHO
RAISED FOR THE EMBATTLED
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN, GEORGE
SANTOS, HAS BEEN CRIMINALLY
CHARGED.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, SANTOS HIMSELF
IS UNDER INDICTMENT.
NBC’S RYAN NOBLES IS ON CAPITOL
HILL.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS,
RYAN?
>> THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL BY THE
NAME OF SAM MEALY, HE WAS A PAID
FUNDRAISER FOR THE GEORGE SANTOS
CAMPAIGN, AND PROSECUTORS ARE
ACCUSING HIM OF IMPERSONATING
DAN MEYER, WHO WAS AT ONE TIME
THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE HOUSE
SPEAKER KEVIN McCARTHY, AND WHAT
THEY SAY IS THAT MEALY WAS
CALLING POTENTIAL DONORS,
DESCRIBING THEMSELVES AS BEING
MEYER, AND THEN ASKING THEM FOR
MONEY TO SUPPORT THE SANTOS
CAMPAIGN.
AS A RESULT, HE’S BEEN CHARGED
WITH FOUR COUNTS OF WIRE FRAUD
AND ONE COUNT OF AGGRAVATED
IDENTITY THEFT IN THE INDICTMENT
THAT WAS JUST ISSUED IN U.S.
DISTRICT COURT IN BROOKLYN.
PART OF THE EVIDENCE THAT
PROSECUTORS HAVE IN THIS CASE AN
E-MAIL THAT WAS SENT FROM MEALY
TO GEORGE SANTOS WHERE HE
ACTUALLY BRAGS ABOUT THE FACT
THAT HE WAS IMPERSONATING MEYER,
AND SAID, ESSENTIALLY, ALONG THE
LINES THAT HE NEEDED TO TAKE BIG
SWINGS IN ORDER TO GET BIG
RESULTS.
THIS OF COURSE JUST A PART OF
ALL THE CONTROVERSY THAT’S
SURROUNDING SANTOS HIMSELF, AS
YOU RIGHTLY POINT OUT, HE’S
FACING A NUMBER OF FEDERAL
CHARGES HIMSELF AND ALSO FACING
AN ETHICS INVESTIGATION HERE IN
CONGRESS BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
MANY REPUBLICANS AND A LOT OF
DEMOCRATS HAVE CALLED ON SANTOS
TO STEP DOWN.
HE HAS REFUSED TO DO SO, AND HAS
SAID MANY TIMES THAT HE
ULTIMATELY BELIEVES THAT THE
COURTS WILL EXONERATE HIM OF ANY
WRONG DOING.
CHRIS.
>> A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS, WE
HAVE HEARD JUST HEARD FROM THE
LAWYER FROM THE FUNDRAISER, THEY
LOOK FORWARD TO CLEARING HIS
NAME AT TRIAL, HE DIDN’T DO IT.
BUT WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE
ETHICS INVESTIGATION ON THE
HILL?
>> Reporter: SO THE HOUSE ETHICS
COMMITTEE HAS SAID THAT THEY
HAVE CONTINUED ON WITH THEIR
INVESTIGATION DESPITE THE FACT
THAT THERE WAS A FEDERAL
INDICTMENT ON THE TABLE.
OFTEN TIMES, THE ETHICS
COMMITTEE WILL TAKE A STEP BACK
WHILE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
WORKS OUT ITS SITUATION.
WE DO KNOW, THOUGH, THAT THE
HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE HAS
SIGNALLED THEY WILL LIKELY NOT
HAVE RESOLUTION TO THEIR
INVESTIGATION UNTIL THE FEDERAL
INDICTMENT WORKS ITSELF OUT.
THERE WAS HOPE BY SOME
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS THAT IT
WOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE
AUGUST RECESS.
SOME REPUBLICANS, PARTICULARLY
FROM THE NEW YORK DELEGATION HAD
EVEN SAID IF IT WAS NOT
RESOLVED, THAT THEY WOULD PUSH
TO EXPEL SANTOS FROM CONGRESS.
THAT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HAPPEN.
THEY ARE NOW IN RECESS.