George Santos, a novice politician who was expelled from Congress last year after a brief, scandal-plagued tenure, pleaded guilty on Monday to fabricating fundraising figures.
Republican Santos entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, the latter of which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
Inflating Numbers and Faking Names
In order to qualify for financial and logistical support from the Republican party during the 2022 election cycle, Santos inflated fundraising numbers and faked donor names.
The charges stemmed from when the political newcomer was elected to represent a district of New York City and its eastern suburbs.
“Accept Full Responsibility”
Santos, 36, apologized to his constituents after pleading guilty at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert.
Santos read from a prepared statement with a shaky voice, “I deeply regret my conduct and the harm it has caused and accept full responsibility for my actions” in the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, on Long Island.
Waived Rights
On Feb. 7, Santos will be sentenced. He struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
As part of the plea deal, he waived his right to appeal any sentence less than 95 months, or just under eight years, as he could face up to 22 years in prison.
Federal Charges
In May 2023, Santos was indicted by the federal government on charges of using campaign funds for personal expenses.
Additionally, he was indicted on charging donors’ credit cards without their consent and receiving unemployment benefits while working.
Admission of Wrongdoing
Even though he only pleaded guilty to two of the 23 charges, Santos admitted to all of the crimes listed in the indictment as part of his plea deal.
Since his arrest, he has been free on a $500,000 bond.
“Badly Deceived”
Santos had initially stated that he was innocent. Since December, he had met with prosecutors to discuss a plea deal.
The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, stated that Santos voters who elected him were “badly deceived.”
“Campaign of Lies”
Peace told reporters after the hearing, “They were victims of a fraud of an unprecedented proportion, and they had to watch helplessly as Santos rode into Congress on a campaign of lies.”
Santos was kicked out of the House of Representatives in December as a result of the indictment.
“To Hell with this Place”
“To hell with this place,” Santos stated after being expelled from the House of Representatives.
Following revelations that he had lied about a significant portion of his past, Santos spent the majority of his 11 months in office mired in scandal.
Santos Claims
During his tenure, he was marginalized by his fellow lawmakers and mocked by comedians on late-night television.
Santos claimed during his campaign that he had attended New York University and worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
Campaign Fund Spending
Additionally, Santos claimed that his grandparents had fled the Nazis during World War II. All of those assertions were false.
He was found to have spent campaign funds on Botox, luxury brands like Hermes, and OnlyFans, an online platform known for its sexual content.
“Unethical and Illegal”
A bipartisan House Ethics Committee investigation uncovered the discovery of Santos’ campaign fund misappropriation.
Santos told reporters after leaving the courthouse, “It’s clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions that were unethical and illegal,” before getting into a black car that drove him away.
Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election in February to take over for Santos.
