UPDATED: Santos in custody, charges unsealed
George Santos UPDATE: U.S. Rep. George Santos, the gay Republican representing New York’s 3rd District, has been taken into federal custody, and authorities this morning have unsealed the charges against him. Santos faces a 13-count indictment that includes 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. He is expected to appear later today (Wednesday, May 10) in federal court in New York’s Eastern District. ORIGINAL POST: Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against gay Republican Congressman George Santos, according to reports from numerous media outlets.
Santos, who represents New York’s 3rd congressional district, is expected to appear as soon as tomorrow (Wednesday, May 10) at federal court in New York’s eastern district where, CNN reports, charges have been filed under seal.
While the exact charges are not yet known, CNN points out that the “FBI and the Justice Department public integrity prosecutors in New York and Washington have been examining allegations of false statements in Santos’ campaign finance filings and other claims.” Santos — “whose astonishing pattern of lies and fabrications stunned even hardened politicos,” CNN said — has apparently lied about his professional background, his educational background, his religious background, his financial status, his mother’s death and his past as a drag queen in Brazil.
Santos has admitted he might have stretched the truth a little bit when it came to his educational background and financial status (alternative facts, anyone?), but he continues to deny the more serious allegations against him.
