Expelled former Rep. Santos to plead guilty to corruption charges, source says

[August 19, 2024]  By Luc Cohen
 
(Reuters) - Former U.S. Representative George Santos, who was expelled from Congress last year, is expected to plead guilty to criminal corruption charges on Monday, a person familiar with the matter said.  

George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, leaves court in Long Island after his corruption trial in Central Islip, New York, U.S. August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Adam Gray/File Photo

Santos, a Republican, faces federal charges of laundering campaign funds to pay for his personal expenses, charging donors' credit cards without their consent, and receiving unemployment benefits while he was employed, among other counts. He has been in plea talks with prosecutors since December.

He is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts when he appears in federal court in Long Island, New York, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Those accusations prompted lawmakers to expel him from the House of Representatives in December. "To hell with this place," he said shortly afterward.

Santos spent much of his 11 months in office engulfed in scandal and marginalized by his fellow lawmakers following revelations that he had lied about much of his past.

A bipartisan investigation by the House Ethics Committee found he spent campaign money on Botox, luxury brands such as Hermes, and OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content.

Santos' seat, which represents a small slice of New York City and some of its eastern suburbs, was filled in a special election in February by Democrat Tom Suozzi.

(Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Richard Chang)

[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.