Santos to Face Federal Court

Ex-New York Republican congressman, George Santos is expected to plead guilty in a federal case where he was accused of fraud. A source close to the matter confirmed this development. The move to plead is expected to happen on Monday when Santos faces the federal court in Central Islip, New York. The former congressman was expelled from the House of Representatives in the previous year and had proclaimed his innocence against 23 federal charges which included misuse of campaign funds.

Pre-Trial Hearing and Proceedings

Santos had a pre-trial hearing in a Long Island courtroom earlier this week, where the commencement of the trial had been scheduled for the upcoming month of September. The federal prosecutors pitched a request to the judge to allow the lies told by Santos during his campaign to be submitted as evidence, arguing that he “deliberately leveraged them to perpetuate the criminal schemes.”

The lies they wanted to highlight included alleged false claims about graduating from Baruch College and New York University, being an accomplished college volleyball player, having grandparents who survived the Holocaust, previous employment at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, fabricating his family wealth, and stealing funds from campaign contributors.

The defense was aiming for a partially anonymous jury, citing “extensive and largely negative media coverage,” and making a case that “jurors could face harassment or intimidation.” The request was approved by the judge. If convicted during the trial, Santos could possibly face a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.

Constituents’ Opinions on Plea Deal

Despite the multitude of scandals that enveloped him almost immediately after he secured a win from New York’s 3rd Congressional District in 2022, helping to tilt the House majority in favor of the Republican Party, Santos’ former constituents have varying opinions regarding the plea deal.

Among those in the former district of Santos, some convey anger while others express mixed feelings. A resident, Jody Kass Finkel, who was leading the citizen action to oust Santos from office, revealed, “He essentially was torturing us for months. For 11 months, we had to live with him as our representative. As far as we’re concerned, the urgency is gone and he shouldn’t get a plea deal.”

Constituents Call for Justice

Another constituent, Barbara Garrett, stated, “I don’t feel angry anymore. He should just disappear … He should pay back the money.” However, others emphasize the importance of due process, echoing sentiments such as “If he broke the law, then just whatever anyone else would face, he should face that same punishment.”