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From the Associated Press: George Santos, who spun lies about his life into an 11-month stint in Congress, pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a case that led to his expulsion from office. He blamed his ambition for clouding his judgment and said he was “flooded with deep regret.”
Santos, 36, is likely to spend at least six years in prison and owes more than $570,000 in restitution and forfeiture after tearfully admitting that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of 11 people, including his own family members, to make donations to his campaign.
Santos’ guilty plea in federal court on Long Island came weeks before the case was to go to trial, punctuating one of the more bizarre stories in modern political lore. He remains free on bond awaiting sentencing Feb. 7.
“I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,” the former New York representative said, his voice trembling as he entered the plea.
Santos was once considered a “rising star” Republican. Now he faces potential prison time.
Speaking to reporters outside the court on Monday, Santos said, “Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I’d take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do. It’s not only a recognition of my misrepresentation to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years. It is a confirmation with these truths that have flooded me with regret for the choices I made. I am taking responsibility because I have to. There’s no other way around it.”
George Santos, the disgraced former Republican congressman from New York, pleaded guilty on Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and admitted to an array of other frauds and deceits.https://t.co/Udp3eU1w0J pic.twitter.com/Jj1ssApTev
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 20, 2024
THERE IT IS: Posted in federal court in New York
George Santos’s signed plea agreement, in which he acknowledges criminal misconduct he – vehemently – denied for years pic.twitter.com/UefUf0M3Cx
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) August 20, 2024
George Santos spun lies about his life into an 11-month stint in Congress. His guilty plea Monday to fraud & identity theft counts came weeks before he was to go on trial, punctuating one of the more bizarre stories in modern political lore. w/@philmarcelo https://t.co/gu9XczS4qM
— Mike Sisak 🗒️ (@mikesisak) August 20, 2024
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