CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) – Rep. Jordi Santosthe famous New York Republican inventing his life storypleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he defrauded donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve.
13-count federal indictment of Santos was an account for a web of fraud and deception that prosecutors say overlapped with his glamorous public image as a wealthy businessman, a fictitious biography that began to unravel after he won election last fall .
Santos, 34, was expected to be released on $500,000 bond following his arraignment, about five hours after he turned himself in to authorities on Long Island to face charges of wire fraud, money laundering , theft of public funds and false statements to Congress. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Santos said little during his appearance, which lasted about 15 minutes. His lawyer said he plans to continue his recently announced re-election campaign, defying calls for him to resign. He asked the judge for permission for Santos to travel freely, although he did surrender his passport.
Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, said the congressman was in good spirits and told reporters, “We’re finally getting around to addressing all of these allegations.”
Among the allegations, prosecutors say Santos induced his supporters to donate to a company under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, they say, she used the money for personal expenses, including designer clothes and her credit card and car payments.
Santos is also accused of lying about his finances on congressional disclosure forms and applying for and receiving unemployment benefits while working as a regional director of an investment firm that the government shut down in 2021 over allegations that it was a Ponzi scheme.
The indictment “seeks Santos to be responsible for several alleged fraudulent schemes and blatant misrepresentations,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment accuse Santos of relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend the halls of Congress and enrich himself.”
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Reached by The Associated Press on Tuesday, Santos said he was unaware of the charges.
Santos has defied calls to resign, some from fellow Republicans, when details of his fictitious resume came to light, though he did. decline their committee duties. He has given no indication that he plans to retire because of his indictment. In the past, members of Congress from both parties remained in office while facing impeachment.
Santos, 34, was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign built in part on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street trader with a large real estate portfolio who had been a star volleyball player in college, among other things.
Santos didn’t actually work at the big financial firms he claimed employed him, didn’t go to college, and struggled financially before his run for public office. He claimed that he fueled his career largely from self-made riches, obtained from deals in expensive toys for wealthy clients, but the indictment alleges that those claims were also exaggerated.
In regulatory filings, Santos claimed he lent his campaign and related political action committees more than $750,000, but it was unclear how he would have amassed that kind of wealth so quickly after years of fighting for pay the rent and was facing several eviction proceedings. .
On a financial disclosure form, Santos reported earning $750,000 a year from a family business, the Devolder Organization, but charges unsealed Wednesday allege Santos never received that sum, nor the 1 million and $5 million in dividends that he indicated came from the company. .
Santos has described the Devolder Organization as a broker for the sale of luxury items such as yachts and airplanes. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos quit working as a salesman for Harbor City Capital, the company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.
In November 2021, Santos formed Redstone Strategies, a Florida company that federal prosecutors say he used to trick donors into funding his lifestyle. According to the indictment, Santos told an associate to solicit contributions from the company and gave him contact information for potential donors.
The emails to potential donors falsely claimed the company was formed “exclusively” to help Santos’ election bid and that there would be no limits on how much they could contribute, according to the indictment. Santos falsely claimed the money would be spent on television ads and other campaign expenses, he said.
Last October, a month before his election, Santos transferred about $74,000 from company coffers to bank accounts he maintained, according to the indictment. He also transferred money to some of his associates, he said.
Many of Santos’ fellow New York Republicans called on him to resign after his fabricated life story was revealed. Some renewed those calls after news of his indictment.
“Sooner or later, whether he chooses it or not, both truth and justice will be delivered to him,” said U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican who represents part of New York state.
Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican who confronted Santos at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in February, said Santos should have resigned a long time ago.
“I think we’re seeing the wheels of justice move slowly, but they grind well,” Romney said.
House Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise were more circumspect, saying Santos deserved a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Santos has faced criminal investigations before.
When he was 19, he was the subject of a criminal investigation in Brazil over allegations that he used stolen checks to buy items at a clothing store. Brazilian authorities said they have reopened the case.
In 2017, Santos was accused of theft in Pennsylvania after authorities say he used thousands of dollars in fraudulent checks to buy puppies from dog breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed her checkbook had been stolen and that someone else had taken the dogs.
Federal authorities have been separately investigating complaints about Santos’ work to raise money for a group that sought to help abandoned and abused pets. A New Jersey veteran accused Santos failed to deliver $3,000 she had raised to help her dog get a necessary surgery.
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Farnoush Amiri in Washington and Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston contributed to this report.
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Follow AP coverage of US Rep. George Santos at https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.
