George Santos, a disgraced former congressman, received an 87-month jail term on Friday on counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft that sprang from his illegal actions during the 2022 midterm campaign.
His deadline for surrender is July 25, according the judge’s ruling.
Sobbing uncontrollably, Santos told the judge in his brief statement that he “betrayed the confidence entrusted in me” on Friday.
“I have done my best, but I can’t change what has already happened. All I can do is focus on what’s ahead,” Santos stated.
Santos displayed “callous disregard for New Yorkers” and “his crimes were not victimless,” New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said at Santos’ sentence in reference to the unemployment benefits he received under COVID-19.
Additionally, US District Judge Joanna Seybert mentioned that she had one letter from a constituent in Santos’ previous district who was “outraged” by the electoral fraud he perpetrated.
The defense team representing Santos argued in court for a minimum two-year sentence, citing the fact that their client is a 36-year-old gay man who “built an alter ego that he showed the world” and came from a shattered home.
In their arguments for the entire 87-month term, prosecutors detailed the ways in which the former congressman stole money, identities, and used the proceeds to buy luxury clothes, vacations, and plane tickets.
“He rose to one of the highest offices in the land on a wave of lies,” stated Assistant US Attorney Ryan Harris. He claimed that Santos lied and that the “extravagance along the way with his lies” was the reason behind it.
Seybert brought up the fact that Santos was earning money via podcasts, social media appearances, and a documentary. She thought it “incredible” that he didn’t set aside money to pay back restitution, and she also considered it remarkable that he kept telling lies and blaming the government.
The former Republican congressman from New York, who admitted guilt in August, will suffer a defeat with the punishment. As part of the arrangement, he was also ordered to pay $373,000 in restitution at that time.
Santos requested the court to impose the minimum term of two years, whilst the Justice Department sought a sentence of more than seven years in jail.
The House Ethics Committee published a report in late 2023 detailing more “uncharged and unlawful conduct” by Santos, leading to his expulsion from the House. Santos had represented portions of Long Island and Queens during his brief and scandal-plagued stint in Congress.
He was already the subject of shock and controversy on Capitol Hill before the report came out, with allegations that he had lied about his personal finances on House disclosure forms, misused campaign funds, and allegedly fabricated large portions of his life story. He was also facing nearly two dozen federal charges.
In 2023, the troubled ex-lawmaker first pled not guilty to the accusations and managed to withstand earlier efforts to have him removed from office.
The former congressman pled guilty weeks before his trial on federal charges; last year, he ran for another New York seat as an independent but dropped out after about a month.
