George Santos is reportedly facing federal charges
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), the freshman lawmaker who lied about his education, professional background, and heritage while on the campaign trail, is facing federal charges, several people familiar with the matter told CNN, The New York Times, and The Associated Press.
The charges filed against Santos in the Eastern District of New York won't be unsealed until he appears in court, which could come as early as Wednesday, CNN reports. When reached for comment on Tuesday, Santos told AP, "This is news to me. You're the first to call me about this."
Santos, who has admitted to fabricating stories about his college degrees, being a volleyball star, and having Jewish ancestry, has also been accused of violating campaign finance and federal conflict of interest laws and stealing money raised for a veteran's dying dog; he denies any wrongdoing.
Subscribe to 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.
The FBI, Justice Department, House Ethics Committee, and public integrity prosecutors in New York and Washington have been investigating several claims against Santos, including allegations of false statements in his campaign finance filings. Santos is also facing charges in Brazil on check fraud, with a hearing scheduled for that case on Thursday.
Democrats and some New York Republican lawmakers have called on Santos to step down. "There's a clock ticking, and George Santos should have resigned in December," Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said. "He should have resigned in January. He should have resigned yesterday, and maybe he'll resign today. But sooner or later, honesty and justice will be delivered." House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has a narrow GOP majority, has said he will ask Santos to resign if he is found guilty.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The North Korean troops readying for deployment in Ukraine
The Explainer Third country wading into conflict would be 'the first step to a world war' Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
'Age of barbarism': are we doing enough to protect young pop stars?
In The Spotlight Some argue that Liam Payne's death should lead to a ban on young pop stars
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Mulled white wine: a 'quirky' Christmas hit?
The Week Recommends Retailers are hoping to tempt shoppers with a 'lighter' version of the classic festive tipple
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Trump gets profane at Catholic charity dinner
Speed Read The Republican nominee mocked Kamala Harris, her husband, her running mate, President Joe Biden and other Democrats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Florida ordered to allow pro-abortion rights ads
Speed Read A federal judge in Florida ordered the DeSantis administration to stop threatening TV stations for running an abortion rights referendum ad
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Pentagon grants ousted LGBTQ vets full benefits
Speed Read The new ruling will apply to more than 820 LGBTQ veterans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US says Israel must up Gaza aid or risk arms halt
Speed Read The Biden administration has provided a 30-day ultimatum to the country
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Georgia judge suspends new hand-count ballot rule
Speed Read The rule would have required three poll workers in every precinct to hand-count votes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Man arrested as threats on FEMA hinder Helene relief
Speed Read The agency temporarily suspended door-to-door operations as a result of the threats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona kicks off swing-state early voting
Speed Read The voting began with less than a month to go before the presidential election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Netanyahu talk ahead of Israeli hit on Iran
Speed Read The pair spoke for the first time since August
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published