What to know about Santos' indictment
- Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., faces 13 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
- Santos said at a news conference after he was released on bond that he will be in the House tomorrow for votes.
- Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said 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."
- Several Republicans have called for Santos' resignation, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he will reserve judgment until Santos has his day in court. McCarthy later said he would not support Santos' re-election bid.
FBI previously talked to Navy veteran who accused Santos in crowdfunding scheme
In January, Navy veteran Richard Osthoff accused Santos of refusing to hand over thousands of dollars raised in a 2016 online campaign to fund surgery for his dog.
Osthoff said a charity group linked to Santos created a GoFundMe page for his dog but never provided him with the money. Osthoff said he believes access to the $3,000 donation pot, which he said Santos withheld from him, would have saved his dog’s life.
“I was so livid that I realized that this guy is now a serving congressman. He doesn’t deserve that job. It’s horrendous that he could lie and steal and cheat his way through life,” Osthoff said.
The incident was not part of the charges unveiled Wednesday. The FBI spoke to Osthoff earlier this year.
McCarthy says he won't support Santos' re-election bid
He's not demanding he resign, but House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said today he's not supporting Santos' bid for re-election.
“No, I’m not gonna support Santos,” McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters at the Capitol. “I think he’s got some other things to focus on in this life than running for stuff.”
After his arraignment today, Santos said at a news conference that he's still running for re-election.
McCarthy hasn't called on Santos to resign, saying he wants him to have his day in court. “He will go through his time in trial and let’s find out how the outcome is,” he said earlier today.
Nassau County prosecutor suggests Santos could face more charges
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly, whose office assisted in the federal investigation, told reporters today that Santos' indictment was an "important first step in holding him accountable."
Asked whether she expected more charges to be filed, Donnelly smiled and said, “It is very much an ongoing investigation.”
Donnelly said after she announced her investigation in December that her "federal partners" approached her and told her "we can make a stronger investigation together" and that she agreed.
"It was a very well-run investigation," she said. "They uncovered more inconsistencies than we ever thought possible."
Santos makes fundraising pitch after court appearance
Hours after his arraignment, Santos made a pitch for 2024 campaign donations on Twitter.
In his post, Santos urged donors to contribute so he could continue “fighting for freedom.” He included a link to WinRed, a fundraising site that aims to “help GOP candidates and committees win across the U.S.” The page indicates any donation will support Santos’ re-election bid.
The federal charges include a scheme in which Santos allegedly used political contributions for personal use.
Santos is on his way back to D.C.
Santos is now en route to Washington by car, two sources familiar with the congressman's plans confirmed to NBC News. It’s unclear whether he will go to the Capitol once he arrives.
The House is expected to hold a procedural vote this evening on a GOP-backed border security bill. The House is also scheduled to take the official photo for the 118th Congress tonight.
At a news conference today after his arraignment, Santos said he planned to return to the Capitol to vote on final passage of the border bill tomorrow.
Prior scandals: Santos accused in credit card skimming scheme
A convicted Brazilian man accused Santos of being the architect of a credit card skimming scheme in 2017, allegations that Santos rejected in March.
“I’m innocent. I never did anything of criminal activity and I’m no mastermind of anything,” Santos told reporters at the time when asked about a sworn affidavit from Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha. “The story’s false.”
In the March affidavit, whose recipients reportedly included the FBI and Secret Service, Trelha claimed Santos was his partner and the person who taught him how to clone ATM and credit cards and how to use skimming devices.
The credit card scheme is not mentioned in the charges against Santos released today.
Santos says he still plans to run again, will return to House tomorrow
Santos told reporters that he still plans to run for re-election next year despite the charges he faces.
He also said he will return to Washington for a planned vote on a GOP-sponsored border bill tomorrow.
He then left the courthouse.
Santos says charge related to Covid unemployment funds is 'inaccurate'
Asked about the allegation that he applied for unemployment benefits during the Covid pandemic while he was receiving a salary of $120,000, Santos said it’s “inaccurate information.”
He added, “I don’t know where the government’s getting their information.”
Santos is charged with fraudulently applying for and receiving almost $25,000 in Covid unemployment benefits from the U.S. Treasury from June 2020 to April 2021, despite being employed.