Expelled Republican New York Rep. George Santos on Saturday sought $750,000 in damages from late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel for alleged copyright infringement and fraud, according to the Associated Press. filed a lawsuit.
Santos spoke with Kimmel, ABC and Walt after Kimmel allegedly tricked the former congressman into making a video that was later used to mock him on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – Filed a lawsuit against the Disney Company.of AP report.
If you don't stand up for yourself, you will definitely lose! That's what I'm doing in this lawsuit. I am standing my ground and fighting to protect my legal rights. Boy Jimmy thought he could violate my copyright through fraudulent means, and now he will face the consequences.
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) February 18, 2024
According to the report, the defendants are charged with copyright infringement, fraudulent solicitation, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the paper said.
Kimmel allegedly obtained a personalized Cameo video from Santos that played “Will Santos Say It?” while concealing his identity. The complaint alleges that Santos used false names and statements in at least 14 requests to “exploit and mock” his “outgoing personality.”
Five of the videos shot by Santos were aired on Kimmel's show, the newspaper reported. In one video, Santos congratulated a winner of a meat-eating contest who achieved the “amazing and impressive” feat of ingesting six pounds of ground beef in less than 30 minutes. (Related: Hollywood studio announces 'Gatsby-esque' movie about Republican congressman)
“Frankly, Mr. Kimmel's bogus request is strange, but what he has done is a clear violation of copyright law,” Santos' attorney Robert Fantone said in an email.
Mr. Santos was expelled from Congress on December 1, 2023, by a vote of 311 to 114. Many Republicans who voted against removing Santos from the House pointed to the fact that he has not yet been convicted. Republican candidate Maji Melisa Pilip lost Tuesday's special election to replace Santos in the swing district, handing over her seat to former Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi.
