He’s out of Congress, but former Rep. George Santos’s troubles are far from over.
Santos was expelled from Congress on Dec. 1. It was the third attempt to do so, after a failed vote introduced by Democrats in May and a failed vote introduced by Republicans in November.
With his expulsion, a special election will be held for his former seat on Feb. 13. Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) is the Democrats’ choice for that race, and Republicans are expected to announce their candidate soon.
But Santos’s legal woes are only just beginning. In May, he was indicted on 13 federal fraud charges. In October, 10 new charges were added, bringing the total number to 23. These charges were related to alleged irregularities and alleged fraudulent financial filings in his 2022 campaign for Congress.
Santos is due back in court on Dec. 12. He could face up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.
Santos has blamed his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, for the supposed irregularities, saying she “went rogue.” Marks recently pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge as well, and her attorney Raymond Perini told reporters she had been manipulated by Santos.
At Santos’s last court date, a potential conflict of interest between himself, his attorney Joseph Murray, Marks, and another individual was resolved.
According to the agenda for tomorrow’s court date, Santos could be considering a plea deal.
“The parties respectfully request that the Court schedule the next status conference in approximately 30 days,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace’s office stated. “The parties are presently engaged in plea negotiations with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial.”
If he doesn’t take a plea deal, his trial is set to begin next September.
