George Santos reaches plea deal, pleads guilty to wire fraud and identity theft
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — George Santos, who was expelled from Congress as he faced nearly two dozen criminal charges, reached a plea deal Monday with federal prosecutors in New York on two federal counts.
Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
"A short time ago, after years of telling lies, former Congressman George Santos stood in the courthouse behind me and finally, under oath, told the truth. And that truth is that he is a criminal," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. "Santos pled guilty to serious crimes involving fraud and identity theft. He also admitted to committing all other crimes he was charged with in the superseding indictment. As a result, he will finally be held to account for his actions."
Peace said under the deal Santos will go to prison for at least two years, though the judge said the plea deal may come with an estimated sentencing range between 6-8 years. He's set for sentencing Feb. 7 at federal court in Central Islip.
Under the agreement, Santos will have to repay at least $373,000.
"He admitted that he lied, he stole, and that he conned people"
"So today, for what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal schemes. He admitted that he lied, he stole, and that he conned people. Santos' countless lies and audacious misrepresentations catapulted him to Congress," Peace said. "But for the victims of Santos' various financial crimes and the community whose falsehoods and fabrications deprived them of honest representation in Congress, he is worthy only of infamy."
Santos spoke in court, acknowledging a series of crimes. He spoke so quickly the judge had to tell him to slow down, CBS News New York's Alice Gainer reported.
He admitted fraudulently using credit cards of at least one other person for his personal benefit, as well as making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. He also admitted to committing wire fraud between Sept-Oct of 2022.
In addition to pleading guilty to those crimes, Peace said Santos also admitted to a "litany" of other crimes, "for which the court will hold him accountable at sentencing."
Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly praised the cooperation with federal partners in the prosecution of Santos.
"Working together to prosecute a liar, a cheat, and a thief, for that's what George Santos is, and that's what his plea of guilty here today proves," Donnelly said.
"I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment," Santos says
"It's clear to me now I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions that were unethical and pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I'd take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do," Santos said outside of court.
Among other things, he admitted to giving a list of false donors, writing down the names of family and friends who did not give him permission to do so in order to hide his crimes.
"My actions have betrayed the trust of my supporters and constituents," Santos said in court.
Santos had previously called the investigation a "witch hunt" while maintaining his innocence.
Over the weekend, sources confirmed to CBS News that Santos would enter a guilty plea. By phone, the ex-Republican congressman told CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer that he would be in court, but he could not discuss a possible plea deal at the time.
Stint in Congress defined by scandal
Santos' 11-month stint in Congress was defined by scandal after he brazenly embellished his biography to win his seat in the 2022 midterm elections.
His life story continued to unravel when the Justice Department indicted him in May 2023 and again in October. Among the 23 felony charges, Santos is alleged to have defrauded campaign donors and then used the money to pay for personal expenses like designer clothing, stole his donors' identities and made thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges on their credit cards, received unemployment benefits while he was employed, lied to Congress about his financial circumstances and falsified campaign finance reports.
Report found "substantial evidence" Santos broke the law
His House colleagues tried to expel him twice last year before a damning Ethics Committee report detailing his alleged conduct opened the floodgates for lawmakers to support expelling him.
The report found Santos fabricated his biography while running for office and funneled campaign funds to pay for Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions, Hermès and Ferragamo purchases and other personal expenses.
There was "substantial evidence" that Santos repeatedly broke the law, the report said.
Attempted comeback bid
Santos, who had maintained his innocence until now, didn't retreat from the spotlight after his historic fall in the House. He sought to remain in the public eye by attacking his former colleagues on social media, charging hundreds of dollars for videos on Cameo, an app where users pay celebrities for personalized messages, and attending President Biden's State of the Union address in March. He also announced he was leaving the Republican Party and launching a congressional comeback bid as an independent, before quickly ending his campaign.
Santos told CBS New York in December that he had a "long road of redemption" ahead of him.
When asked whether he was afraid of going to jail, he said: "I think everybody should be afraid of going to jail. It's not a pretty place. I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best as possible."
Santos noted in that interview that a plea deal was "not off the table." Prosecutors said in a Dec. 11 court filing that they were in plea negotiations with Santos "with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial."
Jury selection was supposed to begin Sept. 9 in his trial on 23 felony charges, which included wire fraud, theft of public funds, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and making false statement to the Federal Election Commission.
Prosecutors said, had they gone to trial, they were ready with more than 500 exhibits including text messages, emails, financial records and flight records, along with dozens of witnesses.
