Former GOP Rep. George Santos is expected to plead guilty to charges related to campaign finance fraud in a federal court in New York. He faces multiple charges, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. Santos had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but negotiations for a plea deal began late last year. A hearing for the guilty plea is scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m.
Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a Long Island congressional seat from Democratic to Republican. However, just before his term began, it was revealed that he had lied or embellished parts of his resume and personal history. In December 2023, the majority of Santos’ House colleagues voted to expel him from Congress, removing him from his position.
The 23-count superseding indictment against Santos is an addition to a previous 13-count federal indictment, which included charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds. A lawyer for Santos did not respond to requests for comment, and representatives from the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment on the case.
Santos’ trial was set to begin less than a month from the expected guilty plea. Negotiations for the plea deal had been ongoing since last year. Santos had previously mentioned that a plea deal was a possibility.
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