Disgraceful fall from Congress
Former U.S. Representative George Santos pleads guilty
Former Congressman George Santos pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to charges stemming from a superseding indictment, nearly closing the year-long legal saga.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. All other charges, including making false statements and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions, were dropped.
Throughout the hearing, the former congressman was subdued and quiet, his voice cracking with emotion even when simply saying “Yes, Your Honor.”
Santos will be sentenced on Feb. 7. He faces up to 22 years in prison and will have to pay a maximum of $373,000 in restitution. Judge Joanna Seybert indicated that he will likely be sentenced to serve between six to eight years based on the severity of his crimes.
“We used the names of our friends, family and supporters,” Santos admitted in court, regarding the charge of identity theft. “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” he added in a cracking voice.
He has been under intense scrutiny since news of his widespread lies first appeared a month after being elected, and later admitted that since then it had been “the most extraordinary, difficult period of my life.”
During the hearing, Santos admitted to his role in orchestrating a scheme to defraud campaign donors and lying about his finances in documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission. Two of his former campaign aides, his campaign treasurer Nancy Marks and ex-fundraiser Sam Miele, had pleaded guilty last year to financial crimes relating to his campaign.
The superseding indictment, filed in October of 2023, added several new counts to the initial charges brought against Santos in May of last year, expanding the scope of the alleged crimes. According to prosecutors, Santos and his co-conspirators solicited contributions from donors under false pretenses.
Instead, the indictment alleges, Santos used a significant portion of the money for personal expenses, including luxury goods, travel, and to pay off debts.
After leaving the courtroom, Santos, accompanied by his legal team, briefly addressed members of the media who gathered in front of the building. Whereas in the past, Santos’ public interviews outside the courtroom had promised retribution for the “witch hunt” against him. This time the former congressman did away with the fire and brimstone rhetoric.
Battling tears, the former congressman chokingly apologized to the victims of his financial scheme, as well as to everyone impacted by his lies.
“It is clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgement, leading me to make decisions that were unethical,” Santos said. “To my family, friends, and supporters, and residents of New York’s 3rd Congressional District, I offer my deepest apologies.”
During his apology, Santos asserted that being elected to Congress was “the greatest day of my life,” and that despite his lies had tried to serve his district “to the best of my ability.” He also spoke to the surrealness of finally pleading guilty and acknowledged that it was necessary to help the district heal.
“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,” the former congressman said. “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 did not take questions, and after speaking, was quickly whisked away. Following his departure, members of the prosecuting team as well as county, state and federal attorneys and members of law enforcement also addressed the crowd.
That same day Manhattan Federal Judge Denise Cote dismissed Santos’ lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Disney, in which he claimed they committed copyright infringement and unjustly enriched themselves by using videos he created on the Cameo app in a segment on Kimmel’s late-night show. Cote ruled that Kimmel’s use of the clips was for criticism and commentary, which falls under fair use.
Breon S. Pearce, attorney for the New York’s Eastern District, emphasized that while justice had been served, “it’s always a sad day when an elected official admits to criminal activity.” Despite this, Pearce emphasized that now Santos’ victims of this sordid saga can begin to move forward with their lives.
“After years of telling lies, former congressman George Santos stood in the courthouse right behind me and finally, under oath, told the truth,” Pearce said. “That truth is that he’s a criminal.”
Not everyone is happy with the verdict, however. Concerned Citizens of NY-03, a bipartisan non-profit organization which was created in response to the news of Santos’ deceits, released a statement on Aug. 20 alleging that “Santos is a symptom of a deeper rot,” and that a criminal trial would have exposed who in the Nassau County Republican leadership knew about the former congressman’s lies before they became public knowledge.
“By avoiding a criminal trial, the Party leadership and electeds are likely breathing a sigh of relief. So many of the people who supported Santos and propped him up even after his frauds were revealed are still in positions of power in the GOP,” the statement read. “In fact, the people who gave us Santos (Nassau Republican Party Chair Joe Cairo and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik) are the same people who vetted Representatives Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams - all of whom voted to protect Santos, until they felt they had no choice. One can only wonder if a criminal trial would have exposed more wrongdoing.”
