Ann Parker
By Ann Parker
George Santos, the gay Republican from New York who was kicked out of Congress on a 311-114 vote in December 2023, today (Monday, Aug. 19) pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud charges stemming from fraudulent activity during his 2022 congressional campaign, according to CNN.
Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 total federal charges ranging from fraud to money laundering, theft of public funds and lying to the U.S. House of Representatives. Last October he pleaded guilty to 10 more federal charges, including charges that he stole donors’ identities and ran up thousands of dollars in charges on their credit cards, embezzled money from his own company and conspired with his former campaign treasurer to falsify donation totals, among others.
Santos insisted in October that he was innocent and would not take a plea deal.
Santos’ guilty plea today comes just weeks before he was set to stand trial on the 23 federal charges. He will serve at least two years in prison and pay $373,000 as part of the plea deal he made with prosecutors.
Sentencing is set for February.
Santos told reporters today that he “deeply regret[s]” his actions and that he “accept[s] full responsibility” for his actions. He added that pleading guilty was “the right thing to do” and was his “own recognition of the lies I told myself.”
Kelly Kline
