Former Rep George Santos Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Fraud
Originally appeared on E! Online
George Santos is facing the consequences of his actions.
A federal judge in New York sentenced the former Congressman to 87 months in prison—which totals to more than seven years—on April 25, per NBC News, after Santos plead guilty to two felony fraud charges in August 2024.
U.S. Judge Joanna Seybert handed down the prison sentence after prosecutors urged for the 87 months.
"From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors,' prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum, per NBC News, 'Santos's unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives.'
In addition to calling Santos a 'pathological liar,' the outlet reports prosecutors also called out his recently launched podcast Pants on Fire with George Santos as 'a perfect crystallization of his lack of genuine contrition and his tone-deaf efforts to continue turning lies into dollars."
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Prosecutors noted that without the 'substantial deterrent' of 87 months, 'Santos will continue to deceive and defraud for years to come. That is especially true given Santos's craven efforts to leverage his lawbreaking as a springboard to celebrity and riches.'
Santos' attorney, meanwhile, had asked Judge Seybert to hand down the minimum sentence of two years.
"His conduct, though involving dishonesty and abuse of trust, stemmed largely from a misguided desperation related to his political campaign, rather than inherent malice," his attorneys said in a court filing, per NBC News, referring to Santos' lack of a criminal history. "Moreover, the public nature of this case and Mr. Santos's fall from a position of public trust serve as a stark warning to others who might contemplate similar offenses.'
Upon his 2022 election to Congress, claims Santos had made about his background quickly came into question, with The New York Times reporting he'd lied or embellished parts of his resume and history.
Further investigation later revealed campaign finance fraud, and in 2023 Santos was indicted in federal court on Long Island on a wide array of charges. In December of that year, the House of Representatives voted to expel him from Congress.
One night before his sentencing, while in conversation with former Congressman Matt Gaetz on One America News Network, Santos addressed the possibility of a pardon from President Donald Trump.
'I haven't petitioned the president for a pardon,' Santos said. 'A lot of people keep asking me this, but obviously, if the president were to extend one, I'd be humbly grateful, because he'd be taking a major weight off my back.'
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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