Losing GOP Candidate Claims Fiancé Lost Job for Attending COVID-Unsafe NYE Bash at Trump Property

George Santos, an openly gay GOP congressional candidate who was defeated in November by Democratic incumbent Rep. Tom Suozzi, claims that his fianc�, a pharmacist, lost his job for attending a $1,000-per-head COVID-unsafe New Year's Eve bash at Mar-a-Lago, Business Insider reports.

Though Santos posted photos of himself and his fianc� at the event at Facebook and Instagram, he blamed the New York Times - a publication that Donald Trump has bashed repeatedly - for the firing of his fianc�, the news article said. He also claimed on social media that the couple were forced to "leave our home this evening with our 4 dogs" due to the Times having reported on the party.

The New York Times noted that the event, which included 500 guests but was not attended by Trump, "flouted warnings against indoor gatherings during the holidays" and "appeared to violate specific guidelines posted on the Palm Beach County website mandating facial coverings in 'all businesses and establishments.' "

"In one photo, Santos can be seen posing with his fianc� in formal attire" at the event, Business Insider reported, including a photo of the two men in tuxedos. "In another, he is seen shaking hands with Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani."

"President Trump's annual New Year's Eve bash drew criticism this year after hundreds of guests gathered at the resort despite coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations soaring to record levels across the US," reported UK newspaper the Daily Mail.

Santos claimed that his fianc�, "a pharmacist who worked 12h/7 days shifts for 9 months was fired!" after the Times article. Santos added: "The violence against us is real." Santos did not elaborate on what "violence" or threats caused the couple to flee their home.

Before making his Instagram account private, Santos posted a followup that declared, "@nytimes, you have exposed my family to danger and have stripped one of us of our livelihood! This is unAmerican."

Santos also took to Twitter, declaring in one tweet, "Any publication thinking I'm giving up my my constitutional freedoms due to their bullying is mistaken.

"I will continue to advocate for our constitutional freedoms. What my family and I went through the past 48hrs is a clear example of why."

Santos got little sympathy at Twitter, where many users clapped back, noting that anyone on social media could have noted the men's attendance at the party and calling Santos out on having attended an event at which masks and social distancing were apparently not in evidence.