George Santos Due In Court, Expected To Plead Guilty In Fraud Case

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon, and a source close to the situation says the New York Republican is anticipated to plead guilty to many counts in his federal fraud case.

The individual could not publicly discuss the terms of the plea and spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Santos and his solicitors did not respond to demands for comment.

The case has been scheduled to go to trial early next month. The Monday afternoon court date on Long Island was scheduled on Friday, at the request of prosecutors and Santos’ attorneys. The letter making the request did not say what it was about.

George Santos Due In Court, Expected To Plead Guilty In Fraud Case

George has pleaded not guilty to several alleged financial offenses, including lying to Congress about his riches, claiming unemployment benefits while working, and using campaign contributions to cover personal costs.

The 36-year-old was once regarded as a rising political star after successfully flipping the suburban district that includes the affluent North Shore of Long Island and a portion of the New York City borough of Queens in 2022.

But his personal story began to disintegrate before he was sworn into office. At the time, reports surfaced that he had lied about having a job at top Wall Street firms and a college degree, among other aspects of his history.

New doubts arose concerning his campaign finances.

In May 2023, he was initially indicted on federal charges but refused to resign from office. Santos was dismissed from Congress after an ethics inquiry revealed “overwhelming evidence” that he had breached the law and used his public position for personal gain.

George had previously maintained his innocence, but in a December interview, he stated that a plea agreement with prosecutors was “not off the table.”

When asked if he was terrified of going to prison, he told CBS 2 at the time, “I think everybody should be afraid of going to jail, it’s not a pretty place, and uh, I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best as possible.”

Separately, in Manhattan federal court, Judge Denise Cote dismissed a lawsuit in which Santos claimed that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Disney violated his copyright and unjustly enriched themselves by using videos he created on the Cameo app for a “Jimmy Kimmel Live” segment. The judge determined that Kimmel utilized the clips, which were also placed on YouTube, for criticism and commentary, which is fair use.

George began selling personalized films on Cameo shortly after being ousted from Congress in December. He later launched, but swiftly abandoned, a long-shot bid to return to Congress as an independent early this year.

In a Sunday radio interview, Santos said he has found solace in being a “somewhat private civilian” again.

“I really don’t miss the rubber chicken dinners, rah-rah-rah parties, and fundraisers,” he stated of his previous life.

With his criminal trial approaching, he stated in the WABC interview that he is “terrified.”

“This is not an easy procedure to go through. “It really hurts, and it affects your psychological health,” he told host Cindy Adams.

As the trial date approached, Santos wanted a largely anonymous jury. His lawyers said in court filings that “the mere risk of public ridicule could influence the individual jurors’ ability to decide Santos’ case solely on the facts and law presented in Court.”

He also requested that potential jurors complete a written questionnaire assessing their perceptions of him. His attorneys said that the survey was necessary because “for all intents and purposes, George has already been found guilty in the court of public opinion.”

George Santos Due In Court, Expected To Plead Guilty In Fraud Case

Judge Joanna Seybert agreed to publicize jurors’ identities but rejected the questionnaire.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, had been seeking to admit as evidence some of the financial falsehoods Santos told during his campaign, including that he’d worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and that he ran a family-run firm with approximately $80 million in assets.

Two Santos campaign aides have previously admitted to offences relating to the former congressman’s campaign.

Nancy Marks, his former treasurer, pleaded guilty to a fraud conspiracy charge in October, accusing Santos of orchestrating a scheme to falsify his campaign financial records with a fictitious loan and contributors. A lawyer for Marks stated at the time that his client would be willing to testify against Santos if asked.

Sam Miele, a former Santos fundraiser, pleaded guilty a month later to a federal wire fraud charge, admitting he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide while raising funds for Santos’ campaign.

SOURCE | AP