George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, arrives for his corruption trial at Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, U.
S., August 19, 2024. Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Former New York Rep.
George Santos pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Long Island to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos, a Republican, had been set to begin trial next month on a 23-count superseding indictment accused him of wire fraud, identity theft, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. The disgraced ex-congressman is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb.
7. A former fundraiser for Santos and the former treasurer for his congressional campaign separately pleaded guilty last fall to federal criminal charges related to Santos. Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives last December by a vote of 311 to 114.
Santos, who had been elected in 2022, was the first member of the House in modern history to be expelled by that chamber without having first been convicted of a federal crime. He had announced a month earlier that he would not seek reelection to represent New York's Third Congressional District in 2024. Santos' decision came after a damning House Ethics report found "substantial evidence" that he had committed campaign fraud and other violations.
That report found Santos "blatantly stole from his campaign" and "sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own p.