George Santos admitted to using stolen checkbook in Brazil, report says


Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.) allegedly admitted to using a stolen checkbook in Brazil in 2008, CNN reported Wednesday.
According to a series of Brazilian police documents obtained by the outlet, Santos confessed to stealing a man's checkbook that was in his mother's possession. He then allegedly admitted to using the checkbook to purchase clothing at a shop outside Rio de Janeiro. In the police documents, officials reportedly said that Santos used a fake ID with the real checkbook owner's name and a picture of himself.
"[Santos] acknowledged having been responsible for forging the signatures on the checks, also confirming that he had destroyed the remaining checks," authorities wrote in one of the reports, per CNN. This document reporting the confession was allegedly signed by Santos himself in 2010.
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.
Santos was eventually charged with fraud related to the use of the checkbook.
While Brazilian authorities have been unable to locate Santos in the years since the alleged crime, his election to Congress seems to have re-ignited their investigation. A spokesperson for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor's office told CNN in a separate statement that they will make a formal request to the U.S. Justice Department to notify Santos of the charges.
The Brazilian development is just the latest in a laundry list of alleged falsehoods and lies undertaken by Santos during his campaign for Congress. He has admitted to fabricating multiple stints at college and employment at major Wall Street firms. He has additionally claimed, among other things, that his mother died during the Sept. 11 attacks and that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors, both of which have been shown to be false.
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
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Ukraine hits Russia's bomber fleet in stealth drone attack
speed read The operation, which destroyed dozens of warplanes, is the 'biggest blow of the war against Moscow's long-range bomber fleet'
-
When did computer passwords become a thing?
The Explainer People have been racking their brains for good codes for longer than you might think
-
On the trail of the Iberian lynx
The Week Recommends Explore the culture, food – and wildlife – of Extremadura on this stunning Spanish safari
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
'The benefits of such a program go beyond just the data'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day