OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:25 PM – Monday, August 19, 2024
Former Republican Representative George Santos (R-N.Y.) pleaded guilty to felony charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud on Monday, dating back to his 2022 midterm campaign.
Along with the identity theft and wire fraud charges, Santos agreed to plead guilty to charges of misusing campaign funds, fraud related to COVID-19 unemployment benefits, and lying about his personal finances in official documents sent to Congress.
Santos reportedly stole from political donors and misused campaign contributions to fund his own personal lifestyle, which included buying designer clothes. The former congressman also admitted to stealing credit card information.
“In addition to the crimes Santos pleaded guilty to, he also admitted to ‘a litany of other crimes for which the court will hold him accountable at sentencing.’” AP News reported.
“I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,” Santos stated.
Santos “is likely to spend at least six years in prison and owes more than $370,000 in restitution,” AP continued.
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated that Santos had finally come clean “after years of telling lies… And [the] truth is, he is a criminal.”
“Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I’d take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do,” stated Santos. “It’s not only a recognition of my misrepresentation to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years.”
Santos’ campaign fundraiser, Sam Miele, has also pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge.
Additionally, Santos’ former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States by committing one or more federal offenses.
During his time in Congress, Santos represented Long Island and Queens before being expelled after a historic 311-114 vote ousted him. He was only the sixth lawmaker to ever be kicked out of the chamber.
Santos is currently out on bail and his sentencing hearing is set to take place in February of 2025.
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