A former congressman expelled from the House at the end of 2023, he is sentenced to 87 months in prison.
George Santos, the former congressman, will be sentenced on Friday to a prison term of no less than two years after pleading guilty to the charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Federal prosecutors have asked the judge to impose a sentence of 87 months, which they said was necessary “to protect the public from being defrauded by Santos again.” Meanwhile, Santos’ attorneys are requesting a minimum of just two years, citing desperation, not malice, as his motive, according to the New York Times.
Santos, 36, first made headlines in 2022 when an investigation by The New York Times revealed he had fabricated much of his résumé. He falsely claimed to have graduated from Baruch College and New York University, worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and even played on a championship volleyball team. Despite these revelations, he took office in January 2023, only to be expelled by the House of Representatives less than a year later.
Federal prosecutors accused Santos of a wide range of financial crimes, including stealing donor money, lying to Congress, and illegally collecting unemployment benefits. After pleading guilty last year for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, Santos now faces up to seven years in prison.
A scathing House Ethics Committee report accused Santos of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from political donors, some of which he used on luxury goods, Botox treatments, and designer clothing. The report helped rally bipartisan support for his expulsion, making him just the sixth member of Congress in U.S. history to be removed from office.
Once a representation of the dysfunction in Washington, and is now a pop culture punchline, Santos has attempted to profit from his infamy through ventures like Cameo and a podcast titled Pants on Fire.
In an interview with the New York Times, Peter Hamilton, a British Author, knew Santos 10 years ago, remains skeptical of his remorse.
“He betrayed the trust of the public and won a House seat by being a con man,” he said. “Even a seven-year sentence is too little.”
At the sentencing hearing on April 25, victims of Santos’ fraud are expected to deliver statements detailing the personal and financial harm they suffered. Among them is Rebecca Markson, a former campaign volunteer who said she contributed over $5,000 believing it would support political outreach efforts. Only for her to learn later that the funds were spent on personal luxuries.
“I feel like I was personally robbed,” Markson said. “He didn’t just steal money. He stole trust.”(thought this quote was really strong)
Judge Joanna Carter, conducted the sentencing, has noted that while Santos’ acceptance of responsibility is a factor in his favor, his fraud that he has committed out weighs heavily against leniency.
“The court must consider not only the individual before it,” she wrote, “but also the broader need to deter others who might view political office as an opportunity for self-enrichment.”
Still, Santos has defenders among a small but vocal group of former constituents who argue that his prosecution is politically motivated. A rally held outside the courthouse Thursday afternoon drew about two dozen supporters, some carrying signs reading “Equal Justice” and “Hands Off George.”
History and Global Studies teacher Pamela Maddock believed Santos has no remorse of the situation.
“His plea deal reflects the consequences of his actions, and his attacks on the Justice Department show a lack of remorse,” she said. “His sentencing was partly based on whether he’s showing remorse, and these comments attack the Justice Department and do not show remorse. Plus, they’re attention seeking.”
In a series of recent podcast episodes, he described himself as a victim of “cancel culture” and insisted that his actions, though wrong, were no different from the behavior of “half of Congress.”
Legal experts say that while the minimum guidelines suggest a two-year sentence, the ultimate decision will depend on how Judge Carter weighs Santos’ post-crime behavior, including his media appearances and efforts to monetize his notoriety. According to CBS New York, “[Santos] has found a new and better source of revenue: making personalized videos on Cameo for $500 apiece.” Santos said, “I will have made more money in seven days than I would’ve made in an entire year in Congress.”
“Judges take into account remorse, rehabilitation, and acceptance of responsibility,” said Miriam Blake, a professor of law at Georgetown University. “But they also look very closely at whether the defendant is exploiting the situation — and in Santos’ case, there’s ample evidence of that.”
Jack Wilson, a junior boarder from San Francisco, believes Santos is just the surface level of corruption within Congress.
“It’s crazy to think [Santos] could lie about so much and still make it that far,” he said. “Honestly, it makes you wonder how many others are getting away with it.”
