Former New York Republican Representative George Santos’s fraud case is inching closer to trial, with a pretrial conference set for Tuesday. This could be a historic first, where a sitting or former member of Congress faces a jury for criminal charges—if you’re into that sort of drama.
Santos, who seems to have been busy crafting a tale more elaborate than a Hollywood script, is facing many accusations. Among them are fabricating his wealth to Congress, identity theft, claiming unemployment benefits while employed, theft of public funds, and even using campaign donations for personal luxuries like Botox and designer threads—quite the list for someone who was supposed to be serving the public.
He pleaded not guilty to these charges in October last year after U.S. Attorney Breon Peace charged him with 17 additional counts on top of the original six. There’s nothing like a little extra seasoning to spice up a legal mess.
Jury selection kicks off on September 9, and here’s where things get a bit odd. Santos has requested that the jury be partially anonymous, citing the media’s relentless spotlight on his case as a risk to juror safety and impartiality. His lawyers argue that the “extensive and largely negative media coverage” could lead to harassment or intimidation, which might skew the fairness of the trial. So, apparently, Santos is worried that the spotlight could dim the justice he’s seeking.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are ready to bring out the big guns. They want to introduce evidence of Santos’s other campaign controversies, like his exaggerated claims of graduating from New York University and Baruch College and managing a family firm with a staggering $80 million in assets. According to a 71-page filing from early August, these fabrications are crucial to understanding his state of mind and proving his criminal intent. They’re also aiming to block any arguments from Santos about being the target of a “witch hunt,” a claim he’s been pushing to deflect the charges.
Santos has recently faced a legal hiccup when a judge shot down his motion to dismiss three charges related to aggravated identity theft and theft of public money. These charges stem from allegations that Santos misused donor credit card info to make unauthorized contributions, which he allegedly tried to obscure to bypass campaign donation limits.
The former congressman isn’t winning any sympathy from his former party. After an Ethics Committee report revealed he filed false or incomplete reports to the Federal Election Commission and used campaign funds for personal gain, Santos was ousted from Congress last year. Though an effort by Democrats to expel him failed, a GOP-backed push succeeded in removing him, making him the sixth member to be expelled in Congressional history.
In March, Santos announced he was leaving the Republican Party, citing the “embarrassing” $1.2 trillion spending deal. He initially planned to run independently in New York’s 1st Congressional District but quickly abandoned that bid a month later.
