Former Republican representative George Santos’s controversial run ended as the US District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced him to 7 years in prison for his fraudulent congressional run. George Santos served as the first openly gay person in Congress for just a year before he was ousted by Congress in 2023.
Santos shed tears during his hearing, saying he was “humbled” and “chastised.” He added, “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.” However, Judge Seybert was having none of his drama. She asked him crudely, “Where is your remorse? Where do I see it?” While sentencing him to 87 months in prison, she added that Santos appeared to feel that “it’s always someone else’s fault.”
The Downfall of George Santos
The federal judge charged George Santos with laundering campaign funds to pay for his personal spending. Santos admitted in the court last year to theft and applying for unemployment benefits that he wasn’t eligible for, while also admitting to making false submissions to the House Ethics Committee and the FEC.
The former lawmaker was also found guilty of charging more than $44,000 to his campaign over months using credit cards belonging to unaware contributors. Santos was ordered to pay at least $374,000 in restitution to his contributors. He tried to raise the money on Cameo, a platform where people can buy personalized videos from creators.
Lies, Fraud, And A Historic Fall From Congress
The New York Times is responsible for George Santos’s downfall. In 2022, the Times published an investigation revealing George Santos’s lies about his CV, including his university degree and work for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
From there, the allegations and blatant lies started piling up. George Santos was accused of stealing money from a fundraiser for a dying dog, and he lied about his mother surviving the 9/11 attacks. Shortly after, local and federal officials were all over the lawmaker.
By 2023, George Santos had racked up 23 federal felony crimes and became the first member of Congress to be expelled in more than 20 years, only the sixth in history. Now, he will be spending 7 years in prison.
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