As embattled freshman lawmaker Rep. George Santos (R-NY) stepped out of a House Republican caucus meeting, he was promptly met with the weight of new criminal wire fraud and identity theft charges. Pleading not guilty in U.S. District Court in Long Island, Santos was already facing a pre-existing federal theft and money laundering case. With no comments to the press, the 35-year-old congressman silently bore the brunt of a trial now scheduled for September, 2024.
“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. Santos falsely inflated the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen” stated United States Attorney Peace. “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.”
Santos’ former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks’ guilty plea to conspiring with a congressional candidate to commit wire fraud adds another layer of complexity to the case.
Santos has admitted to fabricating elements of his employment and education history during his campaign but maintains his innocence of criminal activity. These admittances and allegations have done little to dispel the bipartisan clamor for his ousting.
Despite the mounting legal pressures, Santos has found an unconventional way to remain in the spotlight. Santos has rekindled his long-denied drag alter ego, Kitara Ravache, on the platform Cameo. He offers videos for $350, promising to donate 20 percent of the proceeds to charity. “We have not engaged in any conversations with Rep. Santos or his team. The Foundation did not know about his planned donation before his post on X,” the Tunnel to Towers Foundation said.
Santos, currently facing 23 federal charges, now weaves between his court appearances and the court of public opinion.
Relevant articles:
– In Shock to No One, George Santos’s Charitable Effort Doesn’t Add Up, The New Republic, 04/30/2024
– Angry onlookers shout ‘dog killer’ at George Santos as he arrives at court for fraud hearing in New York, Yahoo Singapore News, 04/30/2024
– George Santos says he will revive his drag queen persona on Cameo, 04/30/2024
– Congressman George Santos Charged With Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, False Statements, Falsification of Records, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Credit Card Fraud, October 10, 2023