Federal fraud charges were laid against N.Y. Rep. GeorgeSantos
An indictment against a California lawmaker who falsely advertised and misused personal cash to hide and hide his personal assets in the early 2020s
The allegations in the indictment show that he used repeated dishonesty and deception to reach the halls of Congress and enrich himself.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., declined to say whether he would move to push Santos from office.
In 2020 he was employed and running for Congress, when he applied for unemployment benefits, he did not do so.
The Nassau County Republican Committee, which helped elect Santos, has since called on him to resign, as have some prominent GOP lawmakers from New York.
“Close to 80% of people polled think he should not be in office,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., told NPR in February, after urging Santos to step aside.
In New York, GOP candidates face tough reelection fights in the next year, which has caused a political headaches for them because of the Santos controversy.
He was under investigation for how he raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign cash, including a mysterious $700,000 gift to his own election effort.
Santos lied in interviews and campaign documents about his education, his professional accomplishments, his record as a champion volleyball player and his family’s experiences in the Holocaust.
The freshman lawmaker pushed the boundaries of conventional political scandal after his victory in last November’s midterms. It was revealed that he fabricated most of the persona presented to voters.
“At the height of the pandemic in 2020, George Santos allegedly applied for and received unemployment benefits while he was employed and running for Congress,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement.
According to the criminal indictments, Santos claimed the money would fuel his bid for office, but instead spent the cash on luxury designer clothes and to make a car payment and pay personal credit card bills.
“This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace.
The congressman turned himself over to federal authorities at a courthouse in New York on Wednesday facing 13 criminal charges.
