The scammy, salacious saga of George Santos’ fraudulent life and short-lived congressional profession will quickly get the documentary therapy.
In accordance with The New York Instances the challenge, which is already within the works, will likely be directed by self-proclaimed “scammer whisperer” and Fyre Fraud documentarian Jenner Furst — who has additionally already secured Santos’ participation within the movie and plans to pay him an “archival supplies payment.”
Furst is the award-winning director behind tasks together with TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, LuLaRich, and the smash hit Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud, which chronicled the disastrous, extraordinarily public implosion of Fyre Pageant and the downfall of fraudster Billy McFarland. In accordance with the Instances, Furst secured McFarland’s participation in his 2019 documentary by providing him an archival supplies payment to compensate him for interviews and licensing rights, and has pursued an identical association with Santos.
Whereas Furst didn’t disclose how a lot cash he had supplied the disgraced former Republican congressman to take part within the upcoming challenge, he advised the Instances that the payment would grant him entry to “quite a lot of private stuff that individuals have by no means seen,” together with images and movies supplied by Santos.
“The one method that individuals can get their a refund is someway for there to be cash created, to place cash of their fingers,” Furst mentioned in response to questions from the Instances relating to the ethics of paying recognized fraudsters for his or her participation in documentaries about their scams.
Earlier than his expulsion from Congress earlier this month, the ex-New York consultant was the topic of a congressional ethics investigation, which discovered proof that Santos had spent marketing campaign funds on OnlyFans, Botox, Hermes equipment, spa remedies, and Sephora magnificence hauls. This mixed along with his recurring lies and the preexisting prison allegations in opposition to Santos of donor identification theft and bank card fraud — even in opposition to one other lawmaker — led to a historic vote to forcibly take away him from the Home of Representatives.
Santos will inevitably be a part of Billy McFarland — in addition to figures like Anna Delvey, Elizabeth Holmes, and Bernie Madoff —- in an unique membership the place one’s identify is synonymous with fraud. But even when Santos’ status and political profession are shot, it hasn’t stopped him from capitalizing on the drama of his downfall.
The previous congressman is reportedly making extra money off Cameo movies than his wage as a member of Congress. Comic Ziwe claimed that Santos requested 3 times to be paid for his participation of their tit-for-tat, “jokester” vs. “nationwide joke” interview. Santos denied any such request was ever made.
Furst’s documentary isn’t even the primary Santos-related movie challenge to have been introduced because the congressman was booted from workplace. TV big HBO has already bought the rights to Mark Chiusano’s guide The Fabulist: The Mendacity, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos, and plans to adapt it into a movie produced by Veep and Succession’s Frank Wealthy. It’s unknown if Santos has been supplied any type of compensation for that challenge.
What’s abundantly clear is that the previous lawmaker is swimming within the public fascination and proceeds of his notoriety. However — if Furst’s rationale for paying out Santos holds true — he could not maintain the latter for lengthy. Santos is predicted to go to trial subsequent 12 months over the slew of white-collar crimes he’s been accused of, and possibly that archival supplies payment will underwrite his restitution to the numerous constituents and donors he allegedly defrauded.