‘He’s Stealing Puppies!’ Anderson Cooper Gobsmacked by Interview with Man Who Claims Santos Used Bad Check to Steal Dogs
Anderson Cooper was beside himself after CNN aired an interview with a man who said Rep. George Santos (R-NY) stole puppies from him by writing him a bad check.
CNN reporter Gary Tuchman provided some additional details on a story first reported by Politico, stating that in 2017, Santos – then a private citizen – allegedly wrote $15,125 in bad checks to dog breeders in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country.
Days later, he held an adoption event at a pet store in Staten Island. Santos was charged with theft, but it was dropped after he claimed someone had stolen his checkbook.
But according to one of the dog breeders who received a bad check, it was Santos who wrote it out to him. Tuchman spoke with a man only identified as “Fred,” who said he did not want his face shown on television.
Fred claimed Santos and a woman the future congressman identified as his assistant came to his farm in 2017. He said Santos appeared “nervous and fidgety” when “buying” two German Shepherds:
FRED: He says, “Ok, we’re gonna take that puppy and that puppy.” And his assistant grabs the two puppies, takes them out the door, and he pulls out a check. I was like, “Oh, no, is this guy gonna pay me with a check?” By then I was very suspicious.
TUCHMAN: You told me before she put the dogs in the car, correct? Before they paid for them?
FRED: Right.
TUCHMAN: So you’re suspicious because he’s going to pay with a check and you don’t take checks.
FRED: I told him, “I don’t take checks. All I can take is cash.” But he said, “Would you expect me to carry enough cash to buy a bunch of puppies on a trip like this? I do not have cash. The only thing I can give you is a check.” Well, I thought to myself, “Well, it looks like I’m done.”
TUCHMAN: You’re stuck.
FRED: I’m stuck.
TUCHMAN: Because the dogs are already in the car.
FRED: The dogs are in the car.
TUCHMAN: You thought they pulled a fast one on you.
FRED: Right, and it was obvious to me by that time they probably pulled a fast one on me.
TUCHMAN: So you said, through the goodness of your heart – I take it – that you’ll take the check.
FRED: I decided a check is better than nothing. I’ll give it a try.
The check bounced.
Tuchman then showed Fred a photo of Santos.
“Do you believe this is the man who bought your dogs and put them in the car and took them away from you?” he asked.
“I feel it is, based on my memory,” Fred replied. “I would say, yes, it is.”
Tuchman appeared with Cooper in the studio on Tuesday’s AC360.
“This is insane to me!” he exclaimed. “He’s stealing puppies allegedly!”
“You wouldn’t do that,” Tuchman replied.
“It’s incredible to me,” Cooper said. “This whole thing, I cannot believe this is going on.”
“It’s quite a story,” Tuchman said.
Watch above via CNN.
