Disgraced former Republican congressman from New York George Santos reportedly plans to plead guilty on Monday to the 23 counts he currently faces, avoiding a federal trial that was scheduled to begin next month.
The guilty plea, expected to take place in federal district court in Central Islip, NY, could spare Santos from being charged with a number of alleged crimes, including fraud and money laundering, but it is still possible he could change his mind about pleading guilty before the scheduled hearing.
Here’s how Santos got to this point – and a breakdown of the allegations against him:
🤥 False claims about his background
Shortly after Santos won his 2022 seat, which represents parts of Long Island and Queens, NY, The New York Times reported that he had misled voters about his background – including his education, career, real estate holdings, charitable donations and even his alleged ties to tragedies such as the Holocaust, the 9/11 attacks and the Pulse nightclub shooting.
In December 2022, Santos admitted to lying about his resume, prompting both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to call for his resignation.
The following year, in November 2023, an investigation by the House Ethics Committee resulted in a series of criminal allegations against the former congressman that formed the basis of the 23 charges he now faces. At that point, Santos decided not to run for re-election.
👮 The 23 charges
The charges against Santos, 23 in total, include conspiracy at varying levels, fraud, false statements, forgery, identity theft and money laundering.
In May 2023, he was indicted on 13 counts, and in October of that year on 10 more. Santos initially pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, calling the whole thing a “witch hunt.” These are the original 13 counts:
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Transfer fraud (7 counts): Prosecutors allege that Santos, along with an unnamed adviser, raised thousands of dollars in donations for a fraudulent political fund called RedStone Strategies. Instead of using the funds for political purposes, Santos reportedly kept over $200,000 for himself and spent it on designer clothing, illegal websites, and personal expenses.
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Money laundering (3 counts): Santos is accused of transferring $50,000 from two different donors to different personal accounts and then moving the money between those accounts in a manner that prosecutors consider to be money laundering.
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False statements (2 counts): According to the indictment and investigators from the House Ethics Committee, Santos knowingly made false statements on financial disclosure forms required by the House. In May 2022, he claimed his only income was $55,000 from a business, but prosecutors allege he failed to report income from another job. In September 2022, he falsely reported receiving a $750,000 salary and millions in dividends from his own business. In addition, he allegedly misrepresented the amounts in his bank accounts and failed to report unemployment benefits he improperly received.
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Theft of public funds (1 count): Santos is accused of fraudulently applying for and receiving over $24,000 in COVID-related unemployment benefits while employed at a Florida-based investment firm earning a six-figure salary.
And the other 10 charges brought against him in October 2023:
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Conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States (1 count): Santos was charged with conspiracy to file fraudulent campaign reports, artificially inflating the financial situation of his campaign team and making it appear wealthier than it actually was.
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Transfer fraud (2 counts): Santos is accused of falsely reporting contributions from family members who claim they never made those donations, thereby inflating his campaign total.
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Falsify records (4 counts): Santos is alleged to have submitted false reports to the Federal Election Commission as part of his fraudulent activities between December 2021 and April 2022.
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Identity theft (2 counts): Prosecutors allege that Santos stole the identities of his donors and used their credit card information to make unauthorized transactions valued at over $1,000.
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Access device fraud (1 Count): This charge relates to Santos’ alleged misuse of stolen credit card information to make unauthorized purchases.
⚖️ Two campaign staffers plead guilty
In October 2023, two members of Santos’ campaign staff pleaded guilty to misconduct related to Santos’ campaign – former accountant Nancy Marks, who admitted to falsifying the campaign’s financial records, and fundraiser Samuel Miele, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
👋 Exclusion from Congress
On December 1, 2023, Santos was permanently expelled from Congress following a vote in the House of Representatives of 311 to 114, making him the sixth member in the history of the House of Representatives to be expelled.
Democrat Tom Suozzi won the special election to fill Santos’ vacant seat in February.
