Former congressman George Santos begins seven-year prison sentence
In a post on X before he reported to prison, Santos said his "rhinestones are packed". "I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit," he wrote. The federal government alleged Santos laundered campaign funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally claimed unemployment benefits while he was employed and lied to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).Prosecutors said he charged more than $44,000 (£32,000) to his campaign over a period of months using credit cards belonging to contributors who were unaware they were being defrauded.In court last year, Santos admitted to theft and applying for unemployment benefits that he was not entitled to receive. He was also ordered to pay at least $374,000 in restitution.After his sentencing in April, Santos attempted to raise money on Cameo, a platform where people can purchase personalised videos from celebrities.Santos gained attention when he defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2022, flipping a district that encompasses parts of New York's Long Island and Queens to the Republicans.The controversy began when the New York Times published a story that year revealing Santos - who had no background in politics - had lied about his CV, including having a university degree and working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.It was not long before a series of new lies came to light, including that he falsely claimed his mother survived the 11 September terrorist attacks. Shortly after, local and federal officials launched investigations into the congressman.Santos was eventually charged with 23 federal felony crimes and in 2023 he became the first member of Congress to be expelled in more than 20 years, and only the sixth in history.
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