Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to ten fraud charges

New York Republican Rep. George Santos has pleaded not guilty to several new charges of fraud and theft. The so-called “Long Island Liar” appeared in court Friday and denied stealing the identities of his campaign donors and racking up thousands of dollars in bills. His attorney entered not guilty pleas on behalf of the legislature.

Santos, 35, will stand trial on September 9, 2024 on a total of 23 charges, including the 10 he faced for the first time today. The case includes allegations that he embezzled cash from his company and conspired with his former treasurer to raise funds by falsifying donations. Santos, who embellished large parts of his resume during his run for Congress, has denied all allegations but is now facing calls from his own party to be expelled from the House of Representatives.

Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito filed a resolution Thursday to kick him out of Congress, and a vote in the House of Representatives could happen as soon as next week. Expelling Santos would require a two-thirds majority, meaning all Democrats and many of his Republican colleagues would have to turn against him. Santos appeared at a courthouse on Long Island to enter not guilty pleas to the new charges.

He had already pleaded not guilty to the earlier batch of charges accusing him of lying to Congress about his wealth, applying for and receiving unemployment benefits even though he had a job, and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses such as designer clothing . Santos has been released on bail pending his trial. He has denied any serious wrongdoing and blamed irregularities in his government filings on his former campaign treasurer, whom he claims committed “rogue actions.”

However, the former treasurer claims she helped Santos deceive Republican party officials into supporting his run for office in 2022 through fake Federal Election Commission documents. Those filings made him appear richer than he actually was by listing an imaginary loan of $500,000, she claims. Santos has continued to represent his New York district in Congress since he was indicted, rebuffing calls for his resignation from several fellow New York Republicans.

Santos has continued to represent his New York district in Congress since he was indicted, rebuffing calls for his resignation from several fellow New York Republicans. On Friday, Santos posted a cryptic note on X, which read: “Everything has an end in life.” He added: ‘1. I haven’t cleaned up my office. 2. I am not resigning. 3. I have the right to a fair trial and not to a predetermined outcome, as some want.’ He has previously said he plans to seek re-election next year, although he could face a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.

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