Former U.S. Representative George Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in his federal fraud case, according to sources familiar with the matter. The plea deal will allow Santos to avoid a trial that was set to begin next month on 23 criminal charges, which could have resulted in significant prison time if convicted. The plea is expected to be entered at a court hearing scheduled for Monday (August 19) on Long Island.
Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December 2023 following an ethics investigation, was accused of five criminal schemes. These included misleading campaign donors, charging their credit cards without authorization, falsely inflating campaign finance reports, fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits, and lying on his financial disclosures. The former congressman was initially indicted in May 2023 on 13 charges, with an additional 10 counts added last October.
According to The Hill, Santos had previously insisted on his innocence. However, the plea deal represents a dramatic shift in his stance. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, who is overseeing the case, will have to accept the deal.
The guilty plea marks the end of a tumultuous period for Santos, who was the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat in 2022. His fall from grace began shortly after his election when The New York Times published a report revealing that Santos had fabricated his resume and biography. The controversy deepened with his criminal indictments and reached a boiling point when the Ethics Committee released a damning report on his conduct.
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