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Friday, January 27, 2023
Vol. 72, No. 4
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND BEAUTY
EAST SIDE ACCESS OPENS
LURVEY, De DeSENA CLASH ON DEPARTMENT GAINS
PAGES 21-24
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
B L O C K PA R T Y
Santos changes story on disclosure report Shows $500K less in questioned personal loan BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos filed new campaign disclosure reports Tuesday that changed the source of a $500,000 loan previously claimed as “personal funds.” Financial disclosure reports Santos filed following the November election showed an outstanding balance of $630,000 on loans from his personal funds. He had originally listed a $705,000 loan to his campaign. Filings on Tuesday showed that $500,000 in loans were not listed from his personal funds and did not specify where the loan originated.
Money Santos listed as a loan in his campaign filings and its source have been questioned in complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission. Santos’ campaign lawyer Joe Murray, told Newsday that “Due to the FEC complaints it would be inappropriate to comment on an open investigation.” Efforts to reach a representative from Santos’ Congressional office for comment were unavailing. Santos faces a pair of new complaints filed by a watchdog group and two of his Democratic colleagues from New York. The Campaign Legal Center, a
nonprofit organization that aims to advance democracy through the law, questioned the newly-elected congressman’s influx of wealth after reporting a salary of $55,000 in 2020 to $750,000 in 2022 and $1 million to $5 million in dividends. The organization also called the congressman’s $705,000 loan to his campaign into question, claiming he falsified reports on nearly 40 expenditure filings under $200. The center filed the complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Monday and to the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice. Continued on Page 34
New charges for former Schechter employee Accused of illegally trying to sell presidential items BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
PHOTO COURTESY MINEOLA UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Students at Hampton Street School learned about compound words using building blocks.
51, pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree criminal contempt and An ex-employee from the Schech- three counts of unlawful disposition of ter School of Long Island who was assets subject to forfeiture Wednesday. Ostrove allegedly attempted to sell fired last summer after being charged with money laundering has also been three items of historical significance charged with trying to illegally sell and benefit from the proceeds, a violation of a court order preventing so, presidential memorabilia. West Islip resident David Ostrove, prosecutors said.
On Dec. 10 Ostrove entered a consignment contract with SMR Collectibles in Amityville to sell a check signed by President Benjamin Harrison, an 1867 warrant letter by President Andrew Johnson and a John Wilkes Booth 1863 Playbill, according to documents. Continued on Page 35
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