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

[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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