US Representative George Santos stole the identities of donors to his campaign and then used their credit cards to ring up tens of thousands of US dollars in unauthorized charges, a new indictment filed on Tuesday said.
He then wired some of the money to his own personal bank account, while using the rest to inflate his campaign coffers, prosecutors said.
The 23-count indictment replaces one filed in May against the New York Republican lawmaker, charging him with embezzling money from his campaign and lying to the US Congress about his wealth, among other offenses.
Photo: AFP
In the updated indictment, prosecutors accuse Santos of charging more than US$44,000 to his campaign over a period of months using cards belonging to contributors without their knowledge.
In one case, he charged US$12,000 to a contributor’s credit card and transferred the “vast majority” of that money into his personal bank account, prosecutors said.
Santos is also accused of falsely reporting to the US Federal Elections Commission (FEC) that he had loaned his campaign US$500,000 when he had not given anything and had less than US$8,000 in the bank.
The fake loan was an attempt to convince Republican Party officials that he was a serious candidate, who was worth their financial support, the indictment said.
“As alleged, Santos is charged with stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorization, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign,” US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said in a statement.
Santos has previously maintained his innocence, saying he is the victim of a “witch hunt.”
The new charges deepen the legal peril for Santos, who likely faces a lengthy prison term if convicted. So far, he has resisted calls to resign, and says he intends to run for re-election next year.
Santos’ biography as a wealthy businessman began to unravel soon after winning election to represent parts of Long Island and Queens last year, revealing a tangled web of deception.
In addition to lying about his distinguished Wall Street background, Jewish heritage, academic and athletic achievements, animal rescue work, real-estate holdings and more, Santos is accused of carrying out numerous schemes meant to enrich himself and mislead his donors.
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