George Santos trial begins; attorneys say they are worried about juror bias

Aug 13

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

Amid mounting public scrutiny, former New York Rep. George Santos, R, is scheduled to appear in a Long Island courtroom Tuesday, Aug. 13, to face charges including wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements to Congress regarding his finances. His legal team has expressed concerns about potential juror bias stemming from widespread negative media coverage.

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Santos, ousted from Congress following a House ethics investigation that found evidence of misuse of his official position for personal gain, has pleaded not guilty. His defense is requesting that potential jurors be questioned about their views on Santos due to extensive publicity, including more than 1,500 news articles and depictions in media such as a “Saturday Night Live” sketch.

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His lawyers argue that the media exposure could compromise his right to a fair trial, suggesting that jurors complete a detailed questionnaire and that their identities remain anonymous to protect the trial’s integrity.

Prosecutors contend these requests are tactics to delay the trial, pointing out that Santos has actively engaged with the media, shaping his public persona. They are also seeking to introduce evidence of Santos’ previous fabrications about his educational and professional background, asserting that these lies are integral to understanding the criminal charges against him.

The trial is set to proceed with approximately 850 potential jurors already summoned for early September.

Tags: Fraud, George Santos, House of Representatives, U.S. Congress

[KARAH RUCKER]

AMID A FLURRY OF SCANDAL AND PUBLIC SCRUTINY — FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE SANTOS WILL STEP INTO A LONG ISLAND COURTROOM ON TUESDAY TO CONFRONT A SLEW OF CHARGES — INCLUDING WIRE FRAUD, MONEY LAUNDERING, AND LYING TO CONGRESS ABOUT HIS FINANCIAL DEALINGS.

HIS LAWYERS SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL JUROR BIAS.

SANTOS’ ALLEGED CRIMES RESULTED IN A HOUSE ETHICS PROBE THAT ULTIMATELY SAW HIM OUSTED FROM CONGRESS FOR ALLEGED ABUSES OF POWER AND PERSONAL GAIN.

SANTOS’ DEFENSE TEAM IS PUSHING FOR POTENTIAL JURORS TO BE SURVEYED ON THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT HIM DUE TO EXTENSIVE NEGATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE, WHICH INCLUDES OVER 15-HUNDRED NEWS ARTICLES AND PORTRAYALS IN POPULAR MEDIA SUCH AS A “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” SKIT.

THE DEFENSE ARGUES THAT THIS WIDESPREAD PUBLICITY COULD PREJUDICE JURORS AND PREVENT SANTOS FROM GETTING A FAIR TRIAL. THEY are ASKING TO HAVE JURORS FILL OUT A DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRE AND TO KEEP THE JURY ANONYMOUS.

PROSECUTORS COUNTER THAT THESE MEASURES ARE MERELY TACTICS TO DELAY THE PROCEEDINGS, NOTING THAT SANTOS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO HIS PUBLIC IMAGE THROUGH EXTENSIVE MEDIA INTERACTIONS.

PROSECUTORS ARE ALSO PRESSING TO ADMIT SANTOS’ PAST FALSEHOODS ABOUT HIS ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AS EVIDENCE IN THE TRIAL, SAYING THESE MISREPRESENTATIONS ARE DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE CHARGES HE FACES.

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