Former Congressman George Santos is poised for sentencing Friday in federal court, potentially facing up to 87 months – over seven years – behind bars for wire fraud and identity theft.
The 36-year-old, who represented New York’s GOP until his expulsion by fellow House members in 2023, had previously entered a guilty plea in August. The plea deal stemmed from charges encompassing 23 counts, including fraud, theft of identity, and falsification of records.
Santos admitted to defrauding campaign donors and misappropriating the identities of approximately a dozen individuals to finance his political ambitions. As part of the agreement, he has committed to paying nearly $600,000 in restitution.
The Sentencing Showdown
Federal prosecutors are advocating for an 87-month prison term, according to court documents. Santos’s legal team initially proposed a sentence of two years.
“I’m doing as well as any human being would be doing given the circumstances,” Santos told the Associated Press Thursday. “I will be in court tomorrow, ready to face the music.”
In an effort to demonstrate a lack of genuine regret, prosecutors presented a compilation of Santos’s recent social media activity prior to his sentencing. One post on X declared, “No matter how hard the DOJ comes for me, they are mad because they will NEVER break my spirit.”
Defense and Remorse
Responding to this filing, Santos submitted a letter to the court stating that he was “profoundly sorry” for his actions. He argued that the prosecution’s requested sentence and their utilization of his social media posts as evidence of continued wrongdoing were excessive and an infringement on his constitutional rights.
“True remorse isn’t mute; it is aware of itself, and it speaks up when the penalty scale jumps into the absurd,” Santos wrote. “This distinction seems lost on the prosecution, who would rather slap a “keep quiet or else” sticker on me and steam-press whatever spirit I’ve got left.”
A Rise and Fall in Congress
Elected to Congress in 2022 after securing a victory for the GOP in a district spanning parts of Queens and Long Island, Santos’s time in office was short-lived. During his campaign, he made numerous misleading assertions regarding his background, including claims about attending New York University, employment at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and his grandparents’ escape from Nazi persecution during World War II.
Last year, Santos attempted a political comeback by launching an independent bid in an adjacent district, seeking to return to the House of Representatives.
Reporting contributions provided by The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Elizabeth Elkind.
