Former GOP Congressman Expected To Plead Guilty On Fraud Charges

George Santos, a former GOP congressman, is expected to plead guilty in his fraud case during an appearance in federal court on Monday.

“A guilty plea would avoid a trial that is scheduled to begin next month,” ABC News reports.

BREAKING: Former Rep. George Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple charges of campaign finance fraud, less than a month from when his trial was set to begin, sources say. https://t.co/t15OOFTlCz

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 17, 2024

Per ABC News:

Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives, faces 23 felony charges that accuse him of defrauding donors, lying about his finances and needlessly accepting unemployment benefits among other things.

It was not immediately clear to which charges Santos is expected to plea or what sentence would be imposed.

Santos allegedly misrepresented elements of his background and biography during his campaign to represent parts of Queen’s and Nassau County, but the criminal charges to which he has pleaded not guilty to mainly involve money.

WATCH:

Disgraced former Republican congressman George Santos is expected to plead guilty to financial crimes, sources tell ABC News, despite previously insisting he was innocent. @AaronKatersky has the latest. https://t.co/nudsuSYKz9 pic.twitter.com/4i500j87I9

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) August 18, 2024

George Santos Will Likely Plead Guilty In Fraud And Money Laundering Case, Report Sayshttps://t.co/eDziHaDLjk pic.twitter.com/hr4UBXldWJ

— Forbes (@Forbes) August 17, 2024

From the Associated Press:

He was first indicted on federal charges in May 2023, but refused to resign from office. Santos was expelled from Congress after an ethics investigation found “overwhelming evidence” that he had broken the law and exploited his public position for his own profit.

Santos has previously maintained his innocence, though he said in an interview in December that a plea deal with prosecutors was “not off the table.”

Asked if he was afraid of going to prison, he told CBS 2 at the time: “I think everybody should be afraid of going to jail, it’s not a pretty place and uh, I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best as possible.”

As the trial date neared in recent weeks, Santos had sought to have a partially anonymous jury, with his lawyers arguing in court papers that “the mere risk of public ridicule could influence the individual jurors ability to decide Santos’ case solely on the facts and law as presented in Court.”

He also wanted potential jurors to fill out a written questionnaire gauging their opinions of him. His lawyers argued the survey was needed because “for all intents and purposes, Santos has already been found guilty in the court of public opinion.”

Judge Joanna Seybert agreed to keep jurors’ identities public but said no to the questionnaire.

WATCH:

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.