George Santos faces 13-count indictment for alleged fraud
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was indicted Wednesday on charges related to alleged fraud and money laundering, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Santos was arrested after surrendering to federal authorities, the DOJ said in a press release. He is facing 13 felony counts in total, including charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
News of Santos' likely charges was first reported Tuesday. Following those reports, the congressmen told The Associated Press his indictment was "news to me. You're the first to call me about this."
The indictment "seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. Peace added that Santos "used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives." The DOJ will continue to "hold public officials accountable," he added.
Since taking office this past January, Santos has become infamous for admittedly lying about numerous aspects of his life and background. This includes false pretenses about having Jewish heritage, as well as his education and employment history. He is also facing charges in Brazil of alleged check fraud. Numerous politicians, including some Republicans, have called for Santos to step down, though he recently announced his campaign for re-election.
-
Woolf Works: the Royal Ballet’s ‘inspired’ production’The Week Recommends Wayne McGregor’s three-act show brings Virginia Woolf’s creative world ‘vividly’ to life
-
The 8 best biopic movies of the 21st century (so far!)the week recommends Not all true stories are feel good tales, but the best biopics offer insight into broader social and political trends
-
Washington grapples with ICE’s growing footprint — and futureTALKING POINTS The deadly provocations of federal officers in Minnesota have put ICE back in the national spotlight
-
Halligan quits US attorney role amid court pressureSpeed Read Halligan’s position had already been considered vacant by at least one judge
-
House approves ACA credits in rebuke to GOP leadersSpeed Read Seventeen GOP lawmakers joined all Democrats in the vote
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Vance’s ‘next move will reveal whether the conservative movement can move past Trump’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The MAGA civil war takes center stage at the Turning Point USA conferenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT ‘Americafest 2025’ was a who’s who of right-wing heavyweights eager to settle scores and lay claim to the future of MAGA
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
