Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was charged with multiple additional crimes related to fraud, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
The DOJ's new charges included conspiracy, wire fraud, making false statements, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud.
#BREAKING: Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has been hit with several new fraud-related charges, according to the Department of Justice.
DETAILS: https://t.co/QXutMeDxochttps://t.co/QXutMeDxoc
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 10, 2023
“As alleged, Santos is charged with stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorization, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign," U.S. attorney Breon Peace said.
"Santos falsely inflated the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen. This Office will relentlessly pursue criminal charges against anyone who uses the electoral process as an opportunity to defraud the public and our government institutions," Peace added.
Federal prosecutors hit Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., with 23 additional charges Tuesday, including allegations of identity theft and that he charged a supporter's credit card in excess of the supporter's contribution and then transferred the money to his… pic.twitter.com/gURJiZaXyG
— Isabel Santos 🟧🟦🌊🌊🟦📙 (@Busyisaworkshop) October 11, 2023
"Prosecutors also shed light on a mysterious $500,000 loan Santos said he gave to his campaign, alleging that it was a fake loan and that Santos 'had less than $8,000 in his personal and business bank accounts' at the time," NBC News reported.
"Santos was charged this year with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House of Representatives. He has pleaded not guilty," it continued.
Santos continues to serve in the House despite the charges and is set to run for reelection next year.
The congressman came under investigation last year after a New York Times report that revealed parts of his resume had been falsified, including his college degrees and past employment history.
Republicans have so far been reluctant to cast aside Santos with its slim majority, instead allowing the legal case to play out to determine what happens next.
Meanwhile, Santos is likely to face a tough battle to keep his role as he faces primary challengers and Democrats seeking his position in Congress.
