Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is predicted to plead responsible to a number of counts in his federal fraud case, in response to an individual acquainted with the matter.
Santos, a Republican from New York, is predicted to enter the plea at a court docket listening to deliberate for Monday on Lengthy Island, the particular person mentioned.
The particular person couldn’t publicly focus on particulars of the plea and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity.
Messages have been left looking for remark from Santos and three attorneys representing the previous congressman.
The court docket listening to was scheduled for Monday afternoon after prosecutors and Santos’ attorneys collectively requested one on Friday. Additionally they sought and acquired a delay in sure pre-trial deadlines.
The information comes simply weeks earlier than jury choice was set to start on Sept. 9. Santos has beforehand pleaded not responsible to a variety of economic crimes, together with mendacity to Congress about his wealth, amassing unemployment advantages whereas truly working and utilizing marketing campaign contributions to pay for private bills equivalent to designer clothes.
Among the many costs Santos faces are wire fraud, theft of public funds, cash laundering and aggravated determine theft.
Prosecutors lately advised the decide that the trial might final three weeks as a result of they anticipated to name at the least three dozen witnesses, together with some victims of Santos’ alleged crimes.
Santos has beforehand maintained his innocence and known as the investigation a “witch hunt,” claims that prosecutors known as “baseless” in a current court docket submitting. However in December, when prosecutors mentioned plea negotiations have been ongoing, Santos mentioned in an interview at the moment {that a} deal was “not off the desk.”
Requested if he was afraid of going to jail, he mentioned: “I believe all people ought to be afraid of going to jail, it’s not a fairly place and uh, I positively wish to work very exhausting to keep away from that as finest as attainable.”
Earlier this week, Decide Joanna Seybert rejected Santos’ request that potential jurors fill out a written questionnaire gauging their opinions of him. His attorneys argued in court docket filings it was mandatory as a result of “for all intents and functions, Santos has already been discovered responsible within the court docket of public opinion.”
Attorneys for the federal government had additionally been looking for to confess as proof a few of the lies Santos made throughout his marketing campaign. Earlier than he was elected in 2022 to characterize elements of Queens and Lengthy Island, he falsely claimed to have graduated from each New York College and Baruch School and that he had labored at prime Wall Avenue companies.
Two marketing campaign aides to Santos have already pleaded responsible to crimes associated to the previous congressman’s marketing campaign. Final October, his ex-treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded responsible to a fraud conspiracy cost and implicated Santos in a scheme to decorate his marketing campaign finance experiences with a pretend mortgage and faux donors. A lawyer for Marks mentioned on the time his consumer can be keen to testify towards Santos if requested, saying she had been “mentally seduced” by Santos.
A month later, Sam Miele, a former fundraiser for Santos, pleaded responsible to a federal wire fraud cost, admitting he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide whereas elevating marketing campaign money for Santos.
The New York Republican was expelled from Congress in December after an ethics investigation discovered “overwhelming proof” he had damaged the legislation and exploited his public place for his personal revenue.