John Fetterman pays George Santos to record Cameo video to troll "ethically challenged" colleague

"I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice," Fetterman said

By Gabriella Ferrigine

Staff Writer

Published December 5, 2023 10:26AM (EST)

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is interviewed by FOX News in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building before a vote to expel him from the House of Representatives on December 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is interviewed by FOX News in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building before a vote to expel him from the House of Representatives on December 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took the opportunity to drag recently indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., by asking former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. to record a video addressed to him on Cameo, an app the disgraced former lawmaker joined after his expulsion that allows people to pay celebrities for personalized videos. Menendez was criminally charged in September with federal charges of bribery and corruption, while Santos was overwhelmingly expelled from Congress on Friday following after a House Ethics Committee report released last month that determined there was “substantial evidence” that Santos had broken federal law. In May, Santos was indicted on 23 federal counts accusing him of defrauding donors, stealing from his campaign and lying to Congress. Both Santos and Menendez have pleaded not guilty.

“Hey Bobby! Look, I don’t think I need to tell you, but these people that want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away, you make them put up or shut up,” Santos said on the video. “You stand your ground, sir, and don’t get bogged down by all the haters out there. Stay strong. Merry Christmas." Fetterman shared the video on X, writing, "I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some encouragement given his substantial legal problems. So, I approached a seasoned expert on the matter to give ‘Bobby from Jersey’ some advice." NBC reported that Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to call for Menendez to resign, with more than half the Democratic caucus following suit. When asked about the video, Menendez told NBC "I don’t think Mr. Clickbait’s donors would appreciate him enriching George Santos. I’m surprised he didn’t ask his parents for the money." Business Insider reported that Fetterman paid Santos $343 to troll Menendez.