George Santos must go to prison after pleading guilty to fraud

Disgraced former Republican Congressman George Santos faces several years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to two counts of fraud.

Santos, 36, appeared in court in Central Islip, New York, on Monday and admitted to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for stealing campaign staffers' identification cards and misusing campaign funds.

The judge estimated the sentence for the charges he admitted at six to eight years.

His guilty plea cements the downfall of the rookie New York politician who was expelled from Congress last year after a brief, scandal-plagued term.

“I deeply regret my conduct and the harm it caused and take full responsibility for my actions,” Santos said in a statement read out in court.

In doing so, he refutes the allegations made against him last year, including that he lied to Congress about his finances and used campaign donations for personal expenses.

A settlement requires Santos to repay at least $374,000 (£288,000).

The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a prison sentence of two years, which must be served concurrently with any conviction for wire fraud.

In court, Santos admitted to the theft and applying for unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.

He also admitted to making false statements and omissions in the financial reports he submitted to the House Ethics Committee and the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Santos was charged with 23 serious federal crimes, including wire fraud, money laundering and misuse of campaign funds.

In December, he became the first member of Congress in over 20 years and only the sixth ever to be expelled from Congress. His short term in office was marked by numerous controversies, alleged lies and allegations of fraud.

Santos defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2022 to win the district, which includes parts of Long Island and Queens in the New York borough.

However, he faced a series of allegations that he made false statements about his Wall Street career, his university education, his Jewish ancestry and the death of his mother in the September 11 attacks.

The House Ethics Committee voted in 2023 to investigate Santos on multiple allegations that he engaged in “unlawful activities” during his 2022 campaign, lied to Congress and engaged in sexual misconduct.

Months later, prosecutors filed 13 charges against him, including seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of lying to the House of Representatives.

He was later charged with ten more counts, including stealing the identities of campaign donors and using their credit cards.

The subsequent report by the House Ethics Committee accused him of misusing campaign funds for personal purposes, including Botox, credit card debt and subscriptions to the porn-heavy website OnlyFans.

Two of his former associates have already pleaded guilty to electoral fraud in connection with Santos' election campaign.

His sentencing is scheduled for February 7.