When a reporter asked Santos what evidence he had, the Republican representative said, “I have plenty of evidence that we will now be sharing with the government, in this case, to make sure that I can defend my innocence.” I don’t understand where the government’s getting their information, but I will present my facts,” Santos said. “My employment was changed during the time, I don’t understand where the government’s coming from."
“During the pandemic, it wasn’t very clear. If the judge declines and rules that the case can advance toward trial, there will be pretrial litigation over what kind of evidence the prosecutors can put before the jury and what kind of defense Santos can mount in response. Santos' lawyers will have the chance to ask that his case be dismissed. The proceedings will now enter a pretrial phase that could stretch out for several months. He had to surrender his passport and will need court approval to travel beyond New York and Washington, DC. What happens next in the legal process? On Wednesday afternoon, Santos made his first appearance in court, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $500,000 bond.
#Safebox with money counter full#
Prosecutors aren't required to show their full hand at the charging phase, so it could be that the new indictment is just a preview of what investigators have collected.
How do prosecutors plan to prove their case? If the case against Santos does go to trial, prosecutors have indicated they have financial records, text messages and other forms of evidence to support their case. Third, false statements that Santos is accused of making on financial disclosures he filed in the House led to two additional counts. The second set of accusations concerns Santos' allegedly false applications for unemployment benefits, resulting in a theft of public money count and two more wire fraud counts. That alleged scheme has prompted five counts of wire fraud and three counts of unlawful monetary transactions. The charges: The first scheme described by prosecutors are alleged false representations made by Santos to political donors that led them to make contributions that were not ultimately used to support his campaign. If convicted of the top counts in the indictment, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department, though it's more likely he'd receive a much lesser sentence. Prosecutors also allege he fraudulently applied for and received Covid-related unemployment benefits while receiving a six-figure salary working for an investment firm. Santos is accused of funneling contributions meant to support his campaigns into his personal bank accounts and instead was spent on luxury clothes and paying off debt. Here's what to know about the significance of the charges and what happens next. George Santos has been charged in a federal criminal probe that - from a legal standpoint - won't affect his status as a member of Congress but will ensnare him in a potentially yearslong court process that could result in a sentence of several years in prison.
He plead not guilty Wednesday to 13 federal charges, including counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and lying to the US House. George Santos appears at Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York. Follow the latest US politics news here or read through the updates below. Prosecutors claim Santos used campaign funds on personal expenses, including luxury designer clothing, and fraudulently applied for Covid-related unemployment benefits - even though he is a co-sponsor of a bill that would help states recoup fraudulent Covid-19 unemployment insurance benefits.He was released on a $500,000 bond and had to surrender his passport and will need court approval to travel beyond New York and Washington, DC.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he wouldn't support his reelection and if the Ethics Committee found he broke the law, he would call for him to resign. Following his arraignment, the Republican lawmaker said he won't resign from Congress and plans to run for reelection.George Santos pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 13 federal charges, including counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and lying to the US House.
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