George Santos.Photo: John Nacion/UPI/Shutterstock
Republican Rep.George Santospleaded not guilty on Friday to the latest round of criminal charges against him, which include identity theft and the unauthorized use of donors' credit cards.
Santos previously entered anot guilty plea to 13 federal countsin May, before a superseding indictment tacked on 10 more counts earlier this month, requiring him to be arraigned a second time.
If convicted of the top counts, the freshman congressman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty
Inthe initial May indictment, federal prosecutors alleged that Santos “devised and executed a scheme” aimed at defrauding donors to his 2022 political campaign.
That alleged scheme included applying for and receiving unemployment benefits at the height of the pandemic — while he was employed and running a congressional campaign. The fraud continued, the indictment adds, when Santos allegedly began pocketing campaign contributions to buy designer clothing and pay off his personal debts.
NBC Newsreports that a trial for Santos is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2024.
Santos was elected in November 2022 to represent a New York district made up of parts of Long Island and Queens.
He became the subject of controversy soon after, whenTheNew York Timesreported that he had misled voters about everything from hislevel of educationand previous jobs tofamily ties to the Holocaust.
Santosadmitted to some of the lies— like saying he had worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, which he did not, and saying he had attended Baruch College and New York University, when he did not graduate college — but many questions persisted.
In January, Santos told colleagues he wouldtemporarily resignfrom his assignments on the Small Business and Science Committees while various investigations into his past play out.
Despite the ongoing investigations, the freshman lawmakerfiled paperwork for his 2024 reelectioncampaign in March to keep his District 3 seat, according to theFederal Election Commission website.
Earlier this month, a former campaign treasurer for Santospleaded guilty to a felony charge, though the specific felony charge (or charges) against her remain under seal.
As the Republican’s legal troubles mount, so do calls for him to resign. Earlier this month, a group of New York Republicansintroduced an expulsion resolutionagainst him. While many lawmakers havecalled on Santos to resign, the resolution marked the first formal GOP-led effort to oust him from Congress. The House will vote on the resolution next week.
source: people.com
