Victims of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) have been told that he is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Monday after being charged with multiple counts of fraud related to his campaign operation.
Multiple Republican donors who were victims of the alleged scheme, in which Santos and his campaign made unauthorized charges on their credit cards, told TPM they were notified by federal prosecutors about the plea deal on Friday. The donors requested anonymity due to their status as victims of a crime.
The docket in the case shows that both sides on Friday asked the judge to schedule an in person hearing for Monday, which the judge then ordered. Other deadlines were extended for after the newly scheduled hearing.
“They told me that he is pleading guilty on Monday,” one of the donors said, adding, “He should be held completely accountable and he is, as far as I can tell, guilty of quite a bit. I know for certain that he lied to my face.”
TPM was first to report on the alleged donor credit card fraud that was at the center of a sprawling 23 count superseding indictment filed against Santos late last year.
Santos previously pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Joe Murray, an attorney representing Santos, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, who is leading the prosecution of Santos, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Santos, who was expelled from Congress in a historic vote last December, was elected in 2022. Soon after his victory, reports emerged that Santos had brazenly lied about aspects of his biography and that he had extensive ties to an alleged ponzi scheme. TPM published a series of stories on Santos’ unusual finances.
Santos’ trial was previously scheduled to start next month. Any plea deal would have to be approved by the judge in Santos’ case. If, as expected, Santos pleads guilty and the agreement is accepted, it will mark the end of this unprecedented and strange congressional saga. It will also serve as some measure of justice for his victims.
“It’s very aggravating to be deceived and lied to,” one of the donors said.
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