Prosecutors seek more than 7 years for George Santos in ‘brazen web of deceit’

Federal prosecutors have called on a judge to condemn a disgraceful former US reporter George Santos to seven years and three months in prison, calling his “arrogant deceit network” that deceives donors, misleads voters and nourishes his political rise through lies, theft and fraud.

The government outlined the extent of Santos’ fraudulent activity during the 2020 and 2022 elections in a detailed sentence note filed on Friday.

Prosecutors claim that Santos, 35, with the help of a former Nancy Marx Campaign Treasurer, falsifies the Federal Election Commission documents, donor contributions and inflate funds to respond to the threshold of the NEWC (NEW REST. Young weapons. ” Marx pleaded guilty to a sentence in June.

When he was informed that he had not reached the NRCC indicator, Santos sent a message to an associate: “We will do this a little different. I understand it.”

This “different” approach included the submission of false donations attributed to family members, fictitious personalities and even identities stolen by adult supporters, according to the submission.

In tandem, Santos managed a deceptive political consulting firm, Redstone Strategies LLC, presenting it as a registered super PAC or 501 (C) (4) non -profit. According to the prosecutor’s office, this was none.

Prosecutors say Santos used Redstone to drink donor money, reserve commissions and fund personal expenses. In one scheme, he uses the credit card of an elderly woman, first scheduled for a one-time donation, to charge $ 12,000 through Redstone’s trade account, calling for $ 11,580 after a fee. He connects the money directly to his personal bank account.

When he was questioned by his business partner, Santos lied, claiming that the woman – who was suffering from a brain trauma – was a consulting client, according to the submission. Between February and August 2022, prosecutors claim that Santos used his credit card repeatedly, attributing donations to her, daughter or fictional names.

Another victim, called “individual 2” in the submission, their credit card was charged at least five times in March 2022, for a total value of over $ 30,000 in fake campaign contributions, including some attributed to Santos Uncle and people who did not exist. These donations were strategically focused on other campaigns that were Redstone clients, ensuring that Santos won a financial refusal while strengthening his political visibility.

In July 2020, he used the credit card of another victim to bring $ 28,400 for his own campaign, some under the name of a personal friend who neither donated nor consent to the submission.

In April 2022, prosecutors claimed that Santos falsely reported a $ 500,000 personal loan for his campaign, allowing him to boast $ 800,000 for raising funds for Q1. He approved a press release that promotes the lie and put the story in conversations with Republican leaders, including a stuck congress. According to the prosecutor’s office, the loan has never existed.

This lie, combined with his PhD students, and a fabricated summary claim for NYU and jobs in Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, helped Santos provide young weapons status in June 2022. of funds.

However, by the fall of 2022, the campaign staff discovered the truth. When confronted with the non -existent loan, Santos admitted that he was not real and transferred to fill the gap by asking for a $ 450,000 loan from a donor referred to as “individual 1” in the submission. Santos connected $ 400,000 in his campaign, never reported it to Fec and never paid the donor. He covered the remaining $ 100,000, assigning more money from the same donor through Redstone.

Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023 and pleaded guilty of wire and aggravated identity fraud.

The defense attorneys said that in his own memorandum, Santos deserves no more than two years in prison, arguing that he “has accepted full responsibility for his actions.”

“This legal basis is not just a recognition of guilt,” Santos told reporters in August. “This is an admission that I must be responsible like any other American who violates the law.”

The sentence of the former Congressman is April 30.