U.S. District Judge Rejects Santos’ Bid to Dismiss Charges
Former U.S. Representative George Santos lost a bid on Friday to have part of the criminal case against him dismissed. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert rejected Santos’ request to dismiss charges of aggravated identity theft and theft of public money, maintaining three of the 23 charges against the New York Republican as he heads toward trial.
Allegations and Charges
Prosecutors have accused Santos of a wide range of crimes, including defrauding campaign donors, lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while employed, and using campaign contributions for personal expenses such as designer clothing. Santos pleaded not guilty to a revised indictment in October.
The aggravated identity theft charges stem from allegations that Santos used campaign donors’ credit card information to make unauthorized contributions. Prosecutors claim he attempted to conceal the true source of the money and evade campaign contribution limits by listing the donations as coming from his relatives and associates without their consent.
Defense’s Arguments and Prosecution’s Response
Santos’ lawyers argued that the aggravated identity theft charges were invalid because, according to them, the allegations merely involved overcharging credit card accounts willingly provided to him. However, prosecutors countered that Santos did not simply “use” the credit card information but “abused it with specific intent to defraud” to make his campaign finances appear more substantial.
The theft of public funds charge relates to alleged unemployment fraud. Santos’ lawyers contended that this charge improperly combined multiple alleged criminal schemes and transactions, which courts have deemed impermissible in other cases due to potential juror confusion and the possibility of convicting based on only part of the alleged misconduct. Prosecutors, however, argued that the theft of public funds charge against Santos pertains to “a single continuing scheme.”
Upcoming Trial and Political Future
Santos is scheduled to go on trial in September in Central Islip, on Long Island, New York. In April, he withdrew his longshot bid to return to Congress as an independent in New York’s 1st Congressional District, also on Long Island.
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