Rep. George Santos Pleads Not Guilty to New Fraud, Identity Theft Charges at Arraignment

Rep. George Santos pleaded not guilty Friday to 23 federal charges in an indictment that alleges he fraudulently inflated the amount of cash his 2022 campaign raised and that he charged donors’ credit cards without their permission.

Santos, 35, entered the plea through his defense attorney at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Suffolk County, Long Island, which was scheduled after federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York filed a superseding indictment against the Republican congressman on Oct. 10.

U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, set a Sept. 9, 2024, trial date for Santos. Her decision to push the trial out nearly a year from now drew gasps from a couple of the lawmaker's constituents who were in attendance at the arraignment.

During Friday's hearing, Seybert pressed Santos' defense counsel to clarify whether there was any intention for her client to plead guilty and avoid trial. The attorney, Joe Murray, responded that the congressman intends to keep fighting the charges.

The superseding indictment added 10 new counts against Santos, including conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission and aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, the freshman congressman whose district includes parts of the New York City borough of Queens and the nearby suburbs conspired with his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, to lie to the FEC about the amount of cash they’d raised.

As part of the scheme, Marks reported to the FEC that 10 family members of hers and Santos made significant contributions to the campaign, federal prosecutors charged.

Marks and Santos devised the scheme in an effort to unlock financial and logistical support from the GOP’s national party committee, which candidates must show they’ve raised $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter to qualify for.

Marks pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme on Oct. 5.

In addition to the alleged fraud against the FEC, Santos is accused of stealing money from his donors after they’d provided credit card information to make contributions to his campaign.

A donor in one instance texted Santos their credit card information in 2021 to make a contribution to his campaign, federal authorities said.

In the days after, Santos allegedly used the credit card to make contributions to his campaign and other committees that the donor did not authorize. He also made a $12,000 charge to the card and ultimately transferred the vast majority of that money to his personal bank account.

The congressman has been free on bail since his original indictment in May. Ahead of Friday's arraignment, the lawmaker's defense counsel and the Justice Department on Thursday jointly proposed a trial start date in May or June of 2024.

In setting the trial date on Friday, Judge Seybert explained she set her schedule because she wanted to prioritize other cases on her docket with defendants who remain in custody.

Santos is out on bond and has continued to serve in Congress. He has rejected calls that he resign his seat.

Several House Republicans from New York are preparing to force a floor vote next week to expel Santos. It would require a two-thirds majority to boot the freshman congressman, which the measure's GOP cosponsors told The Messenger earlier this week they think they can met.