George Santos, the former Republican member of Congress from New York undone by a mind-bending array of biographical lies and moneymaking schemes, has told prosecutors that he intends to plead guilty and avoid a federal trial that was expected to begin next month, according to two lawyers involved in the case and two other people with knowledge of the matter. The plea, which is expected to occur Monday in U.S.
District Court in Central Islip, New York, would spare Santos from a trial that almost certainly would have been a colorful spectacle. Santos, whose trial on 23 felony charges was scheduled to begin on Sept. 9, could still change his mind.
But this past week, two lawyers representing multiple witnesses in the case were told by federal prosecutors that Santos had decided to plead guilty. Two others with knowledge of the plans confirmed that he intends to plead guilty Monday; one of the people said Santos is expected to give a statement in court acknowledging his crimes. The terms of his expected guilty plea and what sentence he might face were not clear.
Public court records show that an in-person hearing has been scheduled for Monday afternoon at the request of prosecutors and Santos’ lawyers. The records did not explain the purpose of the hearing. Santos and one of his lawyers, Joseph Murray, did not respond to requests for comment.
The expected plea was first reported by Talking Points Memo. Santos, 36, was first indicted on 13 charges in May 2023 after a lengthy in.