Expelled ex-congressman George Santos to begin serving prison sentence
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, is expected to surrender to federal custody July 25 to begin serving a prison term after a wire fraud and identity theft conviction.
In April, Santos was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison. Santos was also ordered to pay more than $370,000 in restitution and forfeit another $200,000.
"Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed. From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days," Santos wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it," he wrote. "To my critics: Thanks for the free press. I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit."
Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024 to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. As part of the plea, he admitted to filing false campaign finance reports, charging donors' credit cards without authorization and fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits, among other acts that began years before he ran for Congress.
A House ethics investigation found he had "sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit."
Santos represented parts of Queens and Long Island for 11 months.
He was expelled from Congress in a bipartisan vote following the release of the House Ethics report.
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