George Santos, the former congressman whose political career collapsed after he admitted to falsifying parts of his background, pleaded guilty on Monday to two felony fraud charges.
Santos, who was expelled from Congress on December 1, was facing a 23-count indictment in a New York federal court, including charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. He had initially been indicted on 13 counts last May.
In court, Santos expressed deep regret, accepted full responsibility, and acknowledged betraying his supporters’ trust. He appeared emotional when speaking to reporters afterward, stating his commitment to make amends and accept the legal consequences of his actions.
Prosecutors accused Santos of identity theft, unauthorized charges on donors’ credit cards, and lying about his campaign finances.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace criticized Santos for his deceptive campaign and emphasized that Santos’ guilty plea revealed repeated fraud against various institutions and individuals.
Santos faces a minimum of two years and up to 22 years in prison, with sentencing guidelines suggesting a term of six to eight years. He is also required to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeiture.
Following his arraignment last year, Santos claimed political persecution and vowed to fight the allegations.
Elected in 2022, Santos initially gained attention for flipping a Long Island congressional seat from Democrat to Republican.
However, revelations about his fabrications and embellishments led to his expulsion from Congress after a House Ethics report.
Santos later attempted to capitalize on his notoriety by selling personalized video messages on Cameo and sued late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a segment that featured his videos.
However, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Kimmel’s segment was protected political commentary.
