George Santos Under Investigation for Deceptive Trading Activity

Former U.S. Representative George Santos is under investigation for trades on the prediction market Kalshi. He allegedly profited by misleading the public about attending Trump’s State of the Union address in February. Santos bet against his appearance while excitedly sharing a video on X about the event. This trading activity raised suspicions and led to investigations by the Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

After the story broke, the author received a call from Santos, who expressed anger and claimed the report contained inaccuracies. Santos asserted that his legal team had contacted the Department of Justice, yet found no investigation. However, Santos refused to disclose the names of his lawyers.

During the conversation, Santos made a concerning remark, suggesting the story could result in a violent confrontation. When pressed, he denied making a threat and insisted he said the story would “blow up in your face.” Santos later refuted the exchange publicly on X, accusing the reporter of fabricating the interaction.

The journalist considered his comments more bizarre than threatening but felt the need to clarify the record due to Santos’ mischaracterization of the situation. Threats against journalists are not uncommon and vary in seriousness. The concern lies in distinguishing between mere hyperbole and genuine threats.

Following the publication of the investigation story, Polymarket severed ties with Santos. Santos had been promoting social media posts for Polymarket, a competitor to Kalshi. Santos is now offering personalized videos on Cameo for a discounted rate. For $150, buyers can request Santos to record nearly any message, with the caveat that he might later deny it on X.