Former U.S. Representative George Santos faces scrutiny for trading activities on the prediction market Kalshi. Allegations suggest he misled the public by falsely promoting his attendance at President Trump’s State of the Union address to manipulate market outcomes in his favor.
Legal bodies, including the Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, are reportedly investigating Santos. Their focus is his alleged deceptive trading practices. Sources confirmed that Kalshi flagged the issue, leading to a referral to authorities in New York and Washington, D.C.
A journalist received a call from Santos, who expressed anger over a story about these investigations. While Santos denied any ongoing inquiries, he refused to provide details about his legal representation. Instead, he resorted to personal attacks against both the journalist and NPR.
In a heated conversation, Santos reportedly escalated his rhetoric, suggesting potential danger to the journalist. Later, through a text message, he denied making the threat directly and accused the journalist of fabricating stories.
This incident reflects a pattern where threats against journalists, although sometimes dismissed as hyperbole, are part of the larger challenge media professionals face. Santos, whose reputation has been tainted by past controversies, often uses platforms like X to share denials and shift blame.
Since news of the investigation broke, Polymarket, a competitor to Kalshi, ended its association with Santos. Previously, he had been involved in boosting their social media engagement. Amidst these developments, Santos has ventured into offering discounted Cameo videos, attempting to remain in the public eye.