Santos Arrested for Fraud, Expected in Court Wednesday

A New York congressman, George Santos, was arrested Wednesday on federal criminal charges after months of intense scrutiny from both his colleagues and the press for his apparent fabrication of large parts of his biography.According to the indictment, Mr. Santos is facing charges of wire fraud for a scheme to collect political contributions, unlawful money transfers over $10,000, theft of public money, and unemployment fraud.Mr. Santos surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and is expected to appear at the federal court for the Eastern District of New York on Long Island later in the day.United States Attorney Breon Peace said that the indictment “seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations.”“He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives,” Mr. Peace said in a statement.The indictment alleges that Mr. Santos asked supporters to donate to a company under the pretense that the money would be used for his campaign but instead the freshman congressman used the money for personal enrichment, like paying off credit cards or buying luxury clothes.The indictment also details a scheme in which Mr. Santos allegedly applied for and received $24,000 in unemployment benefits from the New York State Labor Department while simultaneously receiving an annual salary of $120,000 from an employer.Mr. Santos is also charged with misrepresenting his financial condition both to the House of Representatives and the American public during his congressional campaigns.Mr. Santo’s indictment and arrest did not come as a surprise to his colleagues in Congress. Representative Ryan Zinke told Politico “I’m surprised he made it as long as he did.”Another first term congressman from New York, Representative Nick LaLota, told Politico that the “charges bring us one step closer to never having to talk about this lying loser ever again.”Speaker McCarthy was more reserved with his comment on Mr. Santos, telling the Associated Press that “I think in America, you’re innocent till proven guilty.”Mr. Santos’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Since taking office, Mr. Santos has been a thorn in the side of congressional Republicans for apparently false statements he made on the campaign trail as well as portions of his biography that were not uncovered until he took office.For example, Mr. Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania for allegedly writing fraudulent checks to buy puppies from dog breeders, although the case was later dismissed when he claimed someone else had cut the checks.Mr. Santos has denied many of the claims made about his alleged fabrications of his biography and has repeatedly refused to resign from his seat in Congress, despite both Republicans and Democrats calling for him to do so.A fellow Republican from New York, Representative Marc Molinaro, told the Associated Press that Mr. Santos “should have resigned in December.”“George Santos should have resigned in January. George Santos should have resigned yesterday. And perhaps he’ll resign today,” Mr. Molinaro said. “But sooner or later, whether he chooses to or not, both the truth and justice will be delivered to him.”

Santos Arrested for Fraud, Expected in Court Wednesday

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