Republican Congressman George Santos, of Brazilian origin, was indicted by the New York justice system for several crimes, including wire fraud, money laundering, the appropriation of public funds, and lying to Congress. The prosecution charges him with a total of thirteen crimes, some of which carry a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Santos surrendered himself to justice and is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields, although he is not scheduled to be placed under arrest.
The indictment is based on Santos’ election campaign, in which he used “repeated dishonesty and deceit to ascend the halls of Congress and enrich himself,” according to court documents. During his election campaign, Santos operated a limited liability company through which he diverted some “$50,000 from two donors” to his personal accounts, which he spent on buying designer clothes, paying off debts, and transferring money to his associates. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he allegedly fraudulently received more than $24,000 from unemployment insurance.
Santos was also accused of sexual harassment by a man to whom his office allegedly offered a job and then fired him when he rejected her advances. If proven guilty, Santos could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Thursday, March 28, 2024