Disgraced former Rep. George Santos taken to task in scathing sentencing document
It was one of the most bizarre political scandals, and now, George Santos is set to be sentenced on April 25.
In a just-released sentencing document, prosecutors detail how he lied, stole, and defrauded voters and donors. Santos has copped to much of it, but he's asking the judge for leniency.
Scathing document outlines Santos' many misdeeds
Santos rode a red wave into Congress, but prosecutors say he did it by weaving an unparalleled web of lies. In the scathing document, they say he didn't just pad his resume; he used "a wholly fictitious biography to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices."
The document says his conduct "has made a mockery of our election system" and that a party scheme included falsifying campaign finance reports to unlock GOP support, with fake donations in the names of his relatives. He also claimed he loaned his campaign $500,000, when he had less than $10,000 to his name.
The document also says he engaged in:
- A credit card fraud scheme that stole info from elderly, cognitively impaired donors and spent their money on designer goods.
- A Redstone Strategies fraud created a fake nonprofit to solicit donations.
- An unemployment fraud collected pandemic benefits while working for a firm that was later exposed as a Ponzi scheme.
Read the government's letter to the judge
A "professional fraudster"
The document says Santos had false financial disclosures presented to Congress that claimed he was a multi-millionaire.
Prosecutors say these were "intentional and bald-faced lies" of a "professional fraudster" -- "a fictitious public image of a highly educated, independently wealthy businessman."
"At Citigroup, I was told, 'You're a really smart guy.' And here I am today a proud regional director of a 1.5 billion fund," he said during a 2020 documentary.
But there were no prestigious jobs, no real estate holdings, and no college degree.
Prosecutors also blast Santos for then "doubling down" after being exposed, even soliciting a vendor to forge a Baruch College diploma.
"The reality is it's a witch hunt," Santos said during a YouTube press conference on May 10, 2023.
How much time could Santos serve?
The government wants Santos to serve 87 months, but his attorneys are arguing for just 24, citing his lack of prior convictions, guilty pleas to wire fraud and identity theft, and a troubled upbringing.
"He belongs in prison for at least seven years," said Jody Kass, founder of the group Concerned Citizens of NY-03. "There are other people who lie to get into Congress, and nobody to the extent that George Santos did, but this should send a message."
Santos has agreed to pay more than $500,000 in restitution and forfeiture, but he's now complaining on social media that drug lords get wrist slaps compared to what he's facing at sentencing.
He also shared with followers on Monday he will request solitary confinement during his prison term.
