Former New York congressman George Santos is expected to plead guilty in his wide-ranging fraud case, according to US media reports. Mr Santos, who was expelled from Congress last year, is facing 23 federal felony charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and the misuse of campaign funds.
The Republican had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but is now expected to change his plea during a court appearance on Monday in Central Islip, New York. It is unclear which specific charges he may plead guilty to, but he was facing a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted on all counts.
Mr Santos was removed from the US Congress in December 2023 after a damning ethics report and the federal charges. His short tenure in office was marked by controversy, including allegations of lying about his past, fraud, and misuse of campaign funds.
The House ethics panel released a report accusing Mr Santos of using campaign funds for personal expenses such as Botox treatments, credit card debt, and trips to the Hamptons. He was also accused of falsely claiming his mother died in the 9/11 terror attacks and scamming Amish dog breeders in Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors and Mr Santos’s legal team had been preparing for a trial scheduled to start in September, but it appears that he will now plead guilty instead. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
