George Santos pleads not guilty to federal charges during first appearance in court: 'It's a witch hunt'
Rep. George Santos is accused of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., pleaded not guilty to federal charges Wednesday, just hours after a 13-count indictment was unsealed against him.
The indictment was made public in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and charged the congressman with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements to the House of Representatives.
Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, told the judge his client plans to continue his bid for re-election, despite demands for him to resign. The attorney also asked for the judge’s permission to allow Santos to travel freely, although he did surrender his passport.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. George Santos answers questions from members of the media outside federal court in Central Islip, N.Y., on Wednesday. Santos pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a financial fraud at the heart of a political campaign built on dubious boasts about his personal wealth and business success. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
"This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. "Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself. He 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.
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"My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out corruption and self-dealing from our community’s public institutions and hold public officials accountable to the constituents who elected them."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The congressman did not say much during the nearly 15-minute arraignment, according to The Associated Press, but Santos had plenty to say after his appearance to the media gathered outside the courtroom.
Bill Christeson holds up a sign on the steps of the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., on Wednesday. Congressman George Santos has been arrested on federal charges alleging he embezzled money from his campaign, lied to Congress about his income and cheated his way into undeserved unemployment benefits. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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"The reality is, it’s a witch hunt," he said, claiming it did not make sense to him that in just four or five months he has been indicted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Santos accused President Biden and his family from receiving deposits from foreign destinations, yet no investigation has been launched into them.
Santos claimed his employment changed during the pandemic, and he’ll be able to provide "plenty" of evidence to prove his innocence. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
When one reporter asked Santos why it was OK to apply for unemployment, he said part of his defense was that inaccurate information is being spread, and he was not sure where the government was getting its information.
He also claimed his employment changed during the pandemic, and he’ll be able to provide "plenty" of evidence to prove his innocence.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is about being innocent until proven guilty," Santos said. "I’m going to keep fighting… now I have to keep fighting to defend my innocence."
"I’m going to fight my battle… I’m going to fight the witch hunt," he added.
If Santos is convicted of the charges against him, he could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Santos ran a victorious campaign in 2022 to represent New York’s Third Congressional District, after an unsuccessful run in 2020. On Jan. 7, 2023, the rookie congressman was sworn into office, but just days prior The New York Times revealed that Santos allegedly made up a sizable portion of his résumé.
For instance, Santos claimed he worked for two major Wall Street firms, was a graduate from Baruch College and is a descendant of a Holocaust survivor.
If Santos is convicted of the charges against him, he could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The Nassau County GOP demanded the newly sworn-in congressman resign from his post in January, primarily for allegedly fibbing about his Jewish ancestry, but he refused.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NY REPUBLICAN REP. GEORGE SANTOS TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, SOURCES SAY
When asked by Fox News on Wednesday about Santos' indictment, Rep. Marcus Molinaro, R-N.Y., said, "I can't wait for him to be gone."
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., expressed a similar sentiment off-camera.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The indictment claims that in 2020, Santos was earning a salary of $120,000 from a Florida investment firm and running for Congress in New York, though he still applied for and accepted unemployment benefits.
He also allegedly pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, laundering it into his personal bank accounts so that he could pay down his debt and purchase designer clothes.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Santo also allegedly lied on his House financial disclosures about what he earned through Devolder Organization LLC in Florida, and unemployment benefits.
Danielle Wallace of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.