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New York Rep. George Santos has been arrested by federal prosecutors on criminal charges. The openly gay Republican congressman has been caught in a vast web of lies, some involving fraud.
Santos was taken into federal custody May 10. He faces 13 federal charges: 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 House of Representatives, CNN reported.
The freshman congressman, known for outrageous outbursts, was elected last year to represent a district that includes parts of Long Island and Queens. Since taking office, he has been under investigation in multiple jurisdictions and by the House Ethics Committee.
Santos has been accused of breaking campaign finance laws, violating federal conflict of interest laws, stealing cash meant for an Iraq War veteran’s dying dog, masterminding a credit card fraud scheme, and lying about where he went to school and worked.
“This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself. He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic and lied to the House of Representatives. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out corruption and self-dealing from our community’s public institutions and hold public officials accountable to the constituents who elected them.”
While many have called on Santos to resign, the Republicans seem to be standing solidly behind him. In fact, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that he would examine the charges before determining if he thinks Santos should be removed from Congress.
“I’ll look at the charges,” the California Republican told CNN.
Legally, the charges do not affect Santos’ status as a member of Congress.
Not only has his political career been tainted with scandal, so has his personal life. Santos is said to fabricated large portions of his biography. And a number of his past relationships came forward stating that Santos tried to manipulate and trap them, reported ABC News, which interviewed several men who had been involved with Santos.
U.S. Rep. George Santos speaks to reporters outside of the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. Santos pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a financial fraud at the heart of a political campaign built on dubious boasts about his personal wealth and business success. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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