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The plea deal means Santos will avoid a high-profile trial that was expected to drag for weeks.
Disgraced ex-Congressman George Santos pled guilty in federal court Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The first out gay Republican elected to Congress entered the plea weeks ahead of an expected trial in New York federal court. He will be sentenced on Feb. 7.
“I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,” he said in court, according to the Associated Press.
Santos has faced a litany of criminal charges including identity theft and fraud. Santos’ attorneys filed several motions that were denied by a judge last week, including a request for jurors to complete a questionnaire about their political feelings about the politician. But U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert denied that request and said jurors would remain anonymous.
The decisions from the bench may ultimately have led to a break in negotiations between Santos’ legal team and federal prosecutors. While lawyers signaled last week that no deal would be reached, that changed over the weekend, as sources signaled to the media Santos would most likely plead guilty during his next appearance in court. Prosecutors on Friday abruptly requested that an in-person hearing be scheduled for today, Aug. 19.
The plea deal means Santos will avoid a high-profile trial that was expected to drag for three weeks.
Santos has already paid a significant political price for past wrongdoing. The U.S. House in December expelled the freshman lawmaker from Congress, just the sixth time in U.S. history such a step was taken. That followed a detailed investigation by the House Ethics Committee uncovered extensive evidence of alleged misconduct, including campaign finance violations and misrepresentation of Santos’ background.
Various investigations since Santos’ election to Congress show he fabricated significant parts of his resume and personal history. He also misused campaign funds for personal expenses, including for luxury goods and an OnlyFans subscription.
The Department of Justice in October unveiled a 23-count indictment of Santos. That included one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission, two counts of falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of access device fraud He also faced additional seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House.
But under the plea deal, Santos will likely only face penalties for the wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. Federal sentencing guidelines indicate he could face up to six years in prison and $370,000 in restitution.
