Rep. George Santos (R-NY) reported a strong fundraising haul during the second quarter of 2023, far eclipsing what he raised during his first quarter. However, the New York freshman spent most of what he earned repaying debts he accrued during his midterm campaign, filings show.

Santos raised a total of $133,000 during the second quarter, a strong improvement from the $5,300 the embattled congressman received during his first quarter amid a slew of scandals. However, Santos spent much of his earnings paying off what he previously spent on his own campaigns, leaving his war chest with $55,275 cash on hand, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

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With the influx of cash, Santos was able to repay himself $85,000, filings show. Santos still has roughly $530,000 in unpaid loans.

Although the second-quarter report is a vast improvement from his last showing, the number is comparatively low for a freshman running in a swing district — especially one who is expected to face a primary challenge. Kellen Curry, a GOP candidate challenging Santos for his seat, raised $200,000 during the same time frame, according to his campaign.

Santos’s numbers come in far below his fellow Republican freshman from New York, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who raised more than $900,000 last quarter. Lawler now sits comfortably with $1.5 million cash on hand, according to FEC filings.

Santos's newly raised money went toward paying off campaign spending that has been at the center of intense scrutiny after a number of unusual expenses were discovered on Santos’s campaign filings for the midterm cycle. Those discoveries prompted House Democrats to file a complaint to the House Ethics Committee, which is still under investigation.

In one instance, Santos’s campaign paid nearly $11,000 to a company named Cleaner 123 and listed the expenditures as “apartment rental for staff,” according to campaign filings obtained and reviewed by the New York Times earlier this year. The address on the form belongs to a suburban house located in Long Island.

However, one neighbor said Santos himself was living at the home during that time period, with two others telling the outlet they had seen the congressman and his significant other frequently coming and going from the residence. If found to be true, Santos could be guilty of violating finance rules that prohibit candidates from using campaign funds for personal expenses.

Additionally, there were more than 800 expenses the campaign listed as costing $199.99, putting it exactly one cent below the threshold that federal law requires candidates to provide receipts. Several of these payments were listed as being used for office supplies, Uber charges, and restaurants, among other things.

Santos has denied any wrongdoing.

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The freshman lawmaker also faces a slew of other controversies as he seeks reelection, especially after he was indicted by the Justice Department in late May on 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and lying to Congress. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denounced the allegations as politically motivated.

Santos later faced an expulsion vote in Congress over his conduct, but the measure was narrowly shot down by Republicans, who instead voted to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee.