Former Republican lawmaker George Santos, who was expelled from the US Congress after being found guilty of using stolen donor money to fund a lavish lifestyle, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2024, to wire fraud and identity theft. Santos, 36, now faces a potential prison sentence ranging from two to 22 years.
During a court hearing in Central Islip, Judge Joanna Seybert ordered Santos to pay over $370,000 in restitution, with his sentencing scheduled for February 7.
Santos expressed remorse, apologizing to his former constituents and admitting that his ambition led him to unethical decisions. “This plea is not just an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law,” he said tearfully.
Santos’s downfall began when it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his personal history, including false claims about his education, religion, and work experience. After being elected to the US House of Representatives in 2022, Santos was indicted the following year for various crimes, including stealing from campaign donors, credit card fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. The congressional ethics committee found that Santos had misused donor funds for personal indulgences, including Botox treatments, luxury goods, and vacations.
Santos’s guilty plea marks the end of a bizarre and fraudulent political career. He was expelled from Congress in 2023, becoming only the third US lawmaker to be ejected since the Civil War, a punishment typically reserved for traitors and convicted criminals. Following his expulsion, voters in his district elected Democrat Tom Suozzi to replace him.
