George Santos Gets 7-Year Prison Sentence
by Sara Dorn · ForbesTopline
Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was expelled from the House amid an extensive lying scandal and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft, was sentenced to 87 months in prison Friday, multiple outlets reported.
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced Santos to 87 months in prison, meeting prosecutors’ sentencing request.
Seybert ordered Santos to begin his sentence by July 25.
Santos became the sixth person expelled from the House in December 2023 when his colleagues voted to eject him following a House Ethics Committee report into an extensive lying scandal covering everything from his college degrees to his alleged Jewish heritage.
The House Ethics probe also produced evidence that Santos used his campaign funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle.
In his plea deal, he agreed to pay restitution of at least $373,749 and admitted to making false statements to the Federal Elections Commission, committing wire fraud and fraudulently using IDs and credit cards for his personal benefit.
Crucial Quote
“Mr. Santos, words have consequences,” Seybert reportedly told Santos. “You got elected with your words, most of which were lies.”
Tangent
Prosecutors claimed Santos was “unrepentant,” The New York Times reported, citing a court filing in which prosecutors noted Santos continues to criticize the federal government on social media. They referenced one post in which Santos wrote a “cabal of pedophiles” was “running around in every power structure in the world including the US government.” Santos disputed prosecutors’ characterization of his mindset in a letter to the judge, writing that he had undergone “months of bruising self-examination.”
Key Background
Prosecutors charged Santos with orchestrating a campaign finance scheme in which he stole money from his donors and used the funds on personal expenses, including vacations shopping. They also alleged he falsified his financial statements to the House and applied for unemployment benefits in New York, despite earning a $120,000 salary. Santos was elected to represent a district on Long Island in 2022. Before he was even sworn in, revelations emerged that he fabricated virtually every detail of his personal background, including a career on Wall Street, his connections to the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting and his mother’s ties to September 11. Santos, who has been selling personalized videos on the Cameo website since he was ousted from Congress, told the New York Times this week he anticipated the 87-month sentence and was “totally resigned.”
Further Reading
George Santos Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud And Identity Theft, Avoiding Trial—Here’s What To Know (Forbes)