George Santos Must Disclose Who Paid His $500K Bond: Judge

A federal magistrate judge on Monday ordered the names of the three people who guaranteed gay Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos’ $500,000 bond to be released.

Before she discloses the identities of those who backed the indicted lawmaker’s bond, she’s giving him one more chance to appeal.

Per a description of the sealed order in the court’s records system, Judge Anne Shields of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York will reveal the names of those who signed Santos’ pretrial bond.

According to her, Santos, the embattled first-year lawmaker charged with financial crimes last month, has until noon Friday to petition the court about the decision.

As a result of a grand jury indictment in May, Santos was charged with 13 criminal offenses, including fraud, money laundering, and theft. He has pleaded not guilty, and a $500,000 bond was posted on his behalf. The 34-year-old gay New York Republican has denied defrauding his campaign supporters, obtaining unemployment benefits by lying, and filing false tax returns.

He has vowed to remain in office despite increasing calls for his resignation from Republican colleagues. He drew these calls before taking office after The New York Times published a blockbuster report questioning his campaign biography’s authenticity.

Despite admitting to lying about his education and professional background, Santos has denied any criminal wrongdoing and pushed back against subsequent damning reporting about his business dealings.

Santos’ lawyer, Joseph Murray, argued on Monday that the names of the bond guarantors should not be disclosed because of concerns about their “health, safety, and well-being.”

The judge should deny news outlets’ request of un-sealing the names of Santos’ bond suretors, or guarantors, saying they may suffer job losses and physical harm by being revealed, he wrote.

“My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suitors to what will inevitably come,” Murray explained in a letter to the judge.

According to the prosecution, despite earning six figures, Santos was allegedly using campaign donations for personal expenses and collecting unemployment benefits.