Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., turned himself in to federal authorities Wednesday morning as it was revealed he faces 13 criminal charges including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and false statements, officials said.
Santos was charged with:
- Seven counts of wire fraud
- Three counts of money laundering
- One count of theft of public funds
- Two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed Santos was in custody at the federal courthouse. The 20-page, 13-count indictment against Santos was unsealed shortly after he surrendered.
The indictment alleges that while Santos was paid an annual salary of $120,000 at a Florida-based investment firm in 2020, he applied for unemployment benefits in New York, receiving more that $24,000.
It also accuses Santos of soliciting donations to a company that he said would help his election to Congress, before using that money on personal purchases, including designer clothing.
And he's charged with making false statements on his Financial Disclosure Statement that he filed with the House of Representatives before his election.
Santos has faced bipartisan calls to resign after it was revealed that he lied about parts of his resume while running for Congress last year. Santos fabricated details about his education, career, ancestry, and charity work during his campaign.
Last month, he announced that he's running for reelection in 2024.
So no, nothing's going to happen to "Santos" anytime soon, and while he'll probably face a trial before facing voters again in November 2024, I can't imaging New York Republicans aren't already looking for another crook they can run.