Current:Home > StocksGeorge Santos due in court, expected to plead guilty in fraud case, AP source says -EliteFunds
George Santos due in court, expected to plead guilty in fraud case, AP source says
View
Date:2025-04-15 18:28:17
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is due in court Monday afternoon, where a person familiar with the matter has said the New York Republican is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in his federal fraud case.
The person could not publicly discuss details of the plea and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Santos and his attorneys did not return requests for comment.
The case has been set to go to trial early next month. The Monday afternoon court date on Long Island was scheduled only on Friday at the request of both prosecutors and Santos’ lawyers. A letter making the request did not specify what it would be about.
Santos has previously pleaded not guilty to a range of alleged financial crimes, including lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while actually working and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses.
The 36-year-old was once touted as a rising political star after he flipped the suburban district that covers the affluent North Shore of Long Island and a slice of the New York City borough of Queens in 2022.
But his life story began unraveling before he was even sworn into office. At the time, reports emerged that he had lied about having a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree along with other questions of his biography.
New questions then emerged about his campaign funds.
He was first indicted on federal charges in May 2023, but refused to resign from office. Santos was expelled from Congress after an ethics investigation found “overwhelming evidence” that he had broken the law and exploited his public position for his own profit.
Santos has previously maintained his innocence, though he said in an interview in December that a plea deal with prosecutors was “not off the table.”
Asked if he was afraid of going to prison, he told CBS 2 at the time: “I think everybody should be afraid of going to jail, it’s not a pretty place and uh, I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best as possible.”
As the trial date neared in recent weeks, Santos had sought to have a partially anonymous jury, with his lawyers arguing in court papers that “the mere risk of public ridicule could influence the individual jurors ability to decide Santos’ case solely on the facts and law as presented in Court.”
He also wanted potential jurors to fill out a written questionnaire gauging their opinions of him. His lawyers argued the survey was needed because “for all intents and purposes, Santos has already been found guilty in the court of public opinion.”
Judge Joanna Seybert agreed to keep jurors’ identities public but said no to the questionnaire.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, had been seeking to admit as evidence some of the financial falsehoods Santos told during his campaign, including that he’d worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and that he had operated a family-run firm with approximately $80 million in assets,
Two Santos campaign aides have already pleaded guilty to crimes related to the former congressman’s campaign.
His ex-treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty in October to a fraud conspiracy charge, implicating Santos in an alleged scheme to embellish his campaign finance reports with a fake loan and fake donors. A lawyer for Marks said at the time his client would be willing to testify against Santos if asked.
Sam Miele, a former fundraiser for Santos, pleaded guilty a month later to a federal wire fraud charge, admitting he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide while raising money for Santos’ campaign.
___
Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.
veryGood! (77424)
Related
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- We shouldn't tell Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire. But his family should.
- Tom Cruise’s Surprising Paycheck for 2024 Paris Olympics Stunt Revealed
- Teen Mom's Jenelle Evans Reacts After Son Jace Says He Feels Safer Without Her Ex David Eason
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Tom Cruise’s Surprising Paycheck for 2024 Paris Olympics Stunt Revealed
- Florida sued for using taxpayer money on website promoting GOP spin on abortion initiative
- Chad McQueen, 'The Karate Kid' actor and son of Steve McQueen, dies at 63
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- NCAA approves Gallaudet’s use of a helmet for deaf and hard of hearing players this season
Ranking
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Lil Wayne feels hurt after being passed over as Super Bowl halftime headliner. The snub ‘broke’ him
- Minnesota school bus driver accused of DUI with 18 kids on board
- These Iconic Emmys Fashion Moments Are a Lesson in Red Carpet Style
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Boar’s Head closing Virginia plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak
- Boar’s Head closing Virginia plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak
- What to watch: Worst. Vacation. Ever.
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Minnesota election officials make changes to automatic voter registration system after issues arise
Robert De Niro slams Donald Trump: 'He's a jerk, an idiot'
Chase Stokes Reveals Birthday Surprise for Kelsea Ballerini—Which Included Tequila Shots
Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
What is the NFL's concussion protocol? Explaining league's rules for returning
Graceland fraud suspect pleads not guilty to aggravated identity theft, mail fraud
Bill would ban sports betting ads during games and forbid bets on college athletes