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CNN
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Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against New York Rep. George Santos, according to three sources familiar with the matter. He is a Republican congressman whose astonishing pattern of lies and fabrications has left even hardened politicians dumbfounded.
Santos is also scheduled to appear Wednesday in federal court for the Eastern District of New York, where the indictment was filed under seal.
The exact nature of the allegations was not immediately known, but the FBI in New York and Washington and the Justice Department’s Public Order Prosecutor are investigating allegations of misrepresentation in Santos’ campaign-finance filings and other allegations.
Lawyers for the House of Representatives declined to comment. Spokesmen for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment.
A freshman congressman elected last year to represent a district that includes parts of Long Island and Queens is under investigation by multiple jurisdictions and the House Ethics Committee.
Democrats, including Republicans in New York state, are calling for Santos to step down over allegations ranging from criminal misconduct during the campaign to petty personal misconduct dating back more than a decade. .
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would review the charges before deciding whether Santos should be removed from Congress.
A California Republican told CNN on Tuesday, “We will consider the charges.
During his short tenure, Santos has been accused of campaign finance violations, federal conflict of interest law violations, stealing cash for a dying dog of an Iraq War veteran, mastermind a credit card fraud scheme, and accusations of school and hometown. He has been accused of lying and other crimes. I worked.
Santos has admitted to making misleading claims about his education and financial status, but continues to deny the more serious allegations.
Santos, who won last year’s election, followed the Republican middle-man tactic and criticized his Democratic opponents on crime and inflation. The message reverberated in New York suburbs, where the Republican candidate won a narrow majority in the House for his four seats.
But as Santos’ past came under scrutiny, it became clear that much of his official biography was conjured out of thin air, and he increasingly adapted a right-wing troll persona.
He has voiced his support for former President Donald Trump and once claimed that Democrats were “trying to ban toilet paper.”
Republicans in New York have tried to distance themselves from Santos, repeatedly urging him to resign and claiming they know nothing of his dark past. Meanwhile, Democrats have shaken off their embarrassment for not exposing Mr. Santos sooner ahead of what is expected to be a high-priced campaign to reclaim him and other seats in the neighborhood in 2024. trying to pay
The crack in Santos’ façade first made national headlines in late December 2022, when the New York Times conducted a lengthy investigation questioning much of the personal story it pitched to voters during the election campaign. It was when I posted. But what followed was often stranger than fiction. From allegations of stealing a dog from an Amish dairy farm to his own past claims (all false) that he played high-level college volleyball, an endless stream of revelations has unfolded.
As the story piled up, former friends and associates of Santos came forward and began sharing stories alleging that Santos deceived or misled them about money and professional situations. A former roommate of the senator told CNN earlier this year that Santos had shown signs of “megalomania” while living together.
“The truth is finally out,” said Gregory Molly Parker, who accused Santos of stealing the scarf.
From a legal standpoint, the indictment does not affect Santos’ status as a member of parliament. Except for the Fourteenth Amendment prohibition of certain acts of treason after a legislator is sworn into office, there is nothing in the Constitution that prevents an individual who has been criminally charged or convicted from taking office.
According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, under formal rules of the US House of Representatives, “an indicted member may continue to participate in the proceedings and deliberations of Congress.”
However, if lawmakers are convicted of a crime that carries a penalty of two years or more in prison, they are instructed under House rules not to vote on the floor or vote on committees.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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