Never one to do anything without a fabulous flourish, Congressman George Santos headed off to prison for seven years with a spectacular final post on social media.

“Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed. From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news, what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days,” he wrote on X.

“To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press,” the New York Republican wrote.

Santos is set to begin serving an 87-month federal prison sentence on Friday after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The sentence, handed down in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, also included an order for Santos to pay $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds.

Santos’s guilty plea marked the conclusion of a broad investigation into campaign finance fraud, identity theft, and fraudulent unemployment claims during the Covid-19 pandemic. U.S. Attorney John J. Durham described the ruling as “judgment day” for the disgraced former lawmaker, emphasizing his office’s commitment to combating public corruption. 

Santos’s fraudulent activities included manipulating campaign donor reports alongside his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks. Prosecutors disclosed that they had falsified donation records to secure Republican Party funding, fabricating family contributions and falsely reporting a $500,000 loan from Santos even though he held less than $8,000 in his accounts.

The investigation uncovered that Santos had exploited vulnerable individuals, stealing credit card information from donors, some of whom were elderly and cognitively impaired, according to the Department of Justice. The funds, prosecutors said, supported both his campaign and personal indulgences, including purchases of luxury designer clothing. 

Santos also created a fake political fundraising company that siphoned off tens of thousands of dollars, which he then spent on non-campaign-related expenses and designer clothing.

During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed more than $24,000 in unemployment benefits while maintaining employment at an investment firm. He further filed false congressional financial disclosures to the House of Representatives to conceal his financial misdoings.

Santos first gained national attention after flipping New York’s 3rd District for the GOP in 2022. However, his résumé quickly unraveled under scrutiny. He fabricated academic degrees, professional experience on Wall Street, and even falsely claimed family ties to the Holocaust and the September 11, 2001, attacks. 

Santos was ultimately expelled from Congress in December 2023, following a damning ethics report that detailed his misconduct. He became only the sixth member to be removed from the House of Representatives.

Despite his conviction and pending imprisonment, Santos has maintained a public presence. He has been selling personalized video messages on Cameo and remains active on social media platforms, continuing to court attention even as his political career comes to a definitive end. 

At the end of the X post on Thursday, Santos wrote: “I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit,” adding a pair of red lips. “Forever fabulously yours, George.”