Top Line
Former Rep. George Santos, who was indicted last year on fraud and money laundering charges, is expected to plead guilty, according to The New York Times, and his upcoming federal trial on those charges is likely to be halted.
Santos will soon face trial on 23 felony charges unless he pleads guilty. (Photo: Drew) … (+)
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Key Facts
Santos told prosecutors he plans to plead guilty in New York on Monday, the newspaper reported, citing two unnamed lawyers involved in the case and two unnamed people familiar with the matter.
Santos could change his mind ahead of his trial on September 9.
The terms of his guilty plea and possible sentence are unclear, but the former Republican congressman, now an independent, could face up to 22 years in federal prison on the charges.
An in-person hearing requested by prosecutors and Santos’ lawyers is scheduled for Monday, but the purpose of the hearing is unclear, according to The New York Times.
Santos initially pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges last May but was later indicted on 10 additional charges related to an alleged scheme to steal personal and financial information of donors.
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Big numbers
23. Santos faces a total of 23 charges, including wire fraud, identity theft, making false statements and theft of public funds.
Amazing facts
After being expelled from Congress last year, Santos began filming videos for celebrity video platform Cameo. Cameo CEO Steven Galanis told Semaphore that in just a few days on the platform, he made more than his annual salary of $174,000 as a congressman. In April, Santos announced that he would be making limited-time personal videos for his fans under the name drag queen Kitara Labache, donating 20 percent of his earnings to organizations supporting victims of the September 11 attacks and to pro-Israel groups. Santos had denied claims that he was performing as a drag queen after a Brazilian drag queen posted a video showing someone in drag claiming to be Santos.
Main Background
Santos’ short term in Congress has been full of controversy. The former congressman is accused of defrauding donors in his 2022 House election, filing unemployment insurance claims despite making about $120,000 a year, and filing false reports listing inflated fundraising figures to qualify for campaign finance assistance programs. Shortly after winning his House election, Santos came under scrutiny for lies he told about his mother surviving the September 11 attacks in New York and his family’s ties to the Holocaust. He also faced criticism for a check fraud case in Brazil that was settled last year. In exchange for his confession and a payment of about $5,000 to the Brazilian government and to victims of the fraud, Santos avoided prosecution for using two stolen checks. Santos was expelled from the House after less than a year in office following an ethics report that found he used his office to enrich himself. Santos ran for reelection as an independent, but announced his withdrawal from the short-lived campaign in April.
Show more
George Santos expected to plead guilty, sources say (New York Times)
‘Just goodbye for now’: Former Congressman George Santos ends congressional bid (Forbes)
