George Santos, the New York Republican who turned the topic of ridicule for the extent to which he lied about his background, appeared in federal court docket Wednesday to be arraigned on 13 counts after turning himself into authorities earlier within the day.
He pleaded not responsible, a number of retailers reported.
Santos, 34, was elected in November to symbolize parts of Lengthy Island and Queens, however within the weeks and months afterward, various studies confirmed he was not precisely the rich younger businessman he claimed to be. Whereas he admitted in December sure particulars — that he attended two prime schools and labored at prestigious Wall Road companies — have been false, he denied and even defended others whereas refusing calls to resign.
Santos entered the Lengthy Island courtroom with a scowl, a New York Occasions reporter noticed.
His lawyer, Joseph Murray, stated that Santos plans to proceed campaigning for reelection and requested that he be free to journey to take action, based on The Related Press. He surrendered his passport and was launched on a $500,000 bond.
Outdoors the courthouse, Santos asserted that he had “loads of proof” that might supposedly clear his identify.
“The truth is, it’s a witch hunt,” Santos instructed a crowd of reporters angling for a remark. “As a result of it is not sensible that [after] 4 months, 5 months — I’m indicted.”
“I can’t resign,” he stated.
The costs towards Santos span each his private and public life.
Federal prosecutors allege that Santos pocketed $25,000 in donations to his marketing campaign starting in 2022, spending the cash on luxurious garments, automotive funds and his bank cards as a substitute of reliable issues like political adverts. In 2020, Santos allegedly acquired pandemic-related unemployment advantages totaling greater than $24,000 from the state of New York whereas incomes a $120,000 wage from an organization in Florida.
Prosecutors additionally say he lied when filling out monetary disclosure kinds wanted to run for Congress ― each in his unsuccessful 2020 marketing campaign and his profitable 2022 marketing campaign. Santos allegedly overstated his revenue and belongings within the 2022 submitting to the tune of hundreds of thousands.
The case towards him is a product of the Justice Division’s Public Integrity Part and native businesses.
Authorities on the federal and native degree promised to analyze Santos late final 12 months amid public outcry over the brand new congressman’s obvious penchant for spinning yarns.
The listing of Santos’ claims has develop into unwieldily and, in lots of situations, weird. He has stated that he’s Jewish (later amended to “Jew-ish”), that his mom was within the twin towers on 9/11, that a number of of his workers died within the mass taking pictures at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, and that he survived a mind tumor — amongst many different tales.
A former roommate, Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha, alleged in a sworn assertion earlier this 12 months that Santos was the ringleader of a bank card scheme in 2017 that led to Trelha serving jail time earlier than being deported again to Brazil. (Santos denies the accusation.) The scheme is just not talked about within the federal indictment, however Politico reported in March that the case stays open.
In one more occasion of alleged fraud, Santos reportedly agreed to a take care of Brazilian prosecutors who say he wrote fraudulent checks in 2008. A part of the deal included a proper admission that Santos did the crime and would pay damages to the aged man whose checkbook was taken, based on CNN.
Within the US, nonetheless, Santos has denied that he’s lawbreaker.
“I’m not a legal right here — not right here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction on the earth. Completely not. That didn’t occur,” he instructed The New York Put up in December.
