By Michael Malaszczyk
He was finally honest about being dishonest.
Disgraced former Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to two federal charges in court in Central Islip on Monday. Santos admitted to committing wire fraud and identity theft. In exchange for his guilty plea, the 21 other charges from his indictment will be dropped.
He is facing a mandatory two years in prison, but Judge Joanna Seybert said in court he could be facing up to 87 months.
Santos agreed to pay a total of $373,749.97 in restitution to a variety of entities. They included donors whose credit cards he used without authorization and the state unemployment fund he fraudulently received benefits from.
He will be required to forfeit another $205,002.97 before his sentencing.
Santos was elected to the House of Representatives in November of 2022 in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which covers the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County and a portion of northeast Queens.
In December of 2022, the New York Times exposed much of his claimed background as fiction. In May of 2023, Santos faced a 13-count indictment on federal fraud charges, and another 10 were added in September. In December of 2023, he was expelled from the House of Representatives.
In court, Santos admitted to falsifying campaign fund numbers to meet Federal Election Commission benchmarks get proper funding from the Republican National Committee – something his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, recently pleaded guilty to. Santos admitted to applying for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic despite not being unemployed. He also admitted to using the names of friends and family members to do this – hence the wire fraud and identity theft charges.
Santos admitted this in court through a shaky voice, and his upbeat and charismatic demeanor in Congress was long gone. Outside of court, he apologized for his actions, appearing to cry while doing so.
“To my family, friends and supporters of New York’s Third Congressional district, I offer my deepest apology,” Santos said. “It has been the proudest achievement of my life to represent you, and I believe I did so to the bests of my abilities, but you also trusted me to represent you with honor and to uphold the values that are essential to our democracy, and in that regard, I failed you. I know that my actions have caused disappointment, frustration and a loss of faith in me, and for that, I’m truly sorry. I understand that there are consequences to my actions. I accept them. I acknowledge I need to be held accountable, like any American who breaks the law. I want to be a part of restoring the integrity that I helped diminish.”
Santos owes the victims of his fraud schemes up to $373,749 in restitution, and must forfeit any assets he obtained through fraudulent methods.
Both Nassau Republicans and Democrats blasted Santo after the plea deal was announced.
“Infamous fabulist George Santos was brought to justice today for defrauding the members of the public he was elected to represent, and Santos’s guilty plea further reinforces the fact that my successful bipartisan campaign to expel him from Congress as punishment for his misdeeds was the correct course of action,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park), who represents New York’s 4th Congressional District – the Town of Hempstead – said. “I will always work to hold frauds in government like George Santos accountable when they betray the public’s trust, regardless of their political affiliation or the politics of the day – because it’s the right thing to do.”
His opponent for the seat in 2022, Democrat Robert Zimmerman, also spoke out.
“George Santos is a second-rate fraudster,” Zimmerman said. “His corrupt life and the crimes he committed against the citizens of our Third Congressional District will finally be brought to justice. However, there will be no justice for the people and our democratic process unless there are meaningful and substantive changes in the laws governing oversight of congressional elections.”
Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview), a resident of the 3rd Congressional District, said he was pleased Santos would be held accountable for his misdeeds.
“This outcome reinforces the bedrock American principle that no person is above the law, and I hope that it is a deterrent for those who would seek to exploit voters in the future – especially at a time when criminality is being perversely embraced in some political corners as an asset,” Drucker said.
