Rep. George Santos charged with stealing donors’ identities

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is facing 23 new federal charges for allegedly stealing his donor’s identities, among a slew of other charges filed in the Eastern District of New York. On Tuesday, Oct. 10, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Santos used his donor’s credit cards without authorization, funneling money into his campaign fund and his personal bank account.

According to U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, in one instance, Santos charged $12,000 to a donor’s credit card without their consent; ultimately, Santos moved the majority of that money to his personal bank account.

“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 [Federal Election Commission] and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign,” Peace said in a statement. “Santos falsely inflated the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen.”

On top of stealing money from his campaign donors, Santos is charged with lying to Congress and inflating his campaign finances, according to the indictment. The charges allege that Santos lied to the FEC when he reported a $500,000 personal loan to his own campaign when he had less than $8,000 in his personal and business bank accounts.

The charges stem from Santos’ 2022 campaign for a New York’s Third Congressional District seat, which he won. On Oct. 5, Santos’ campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty to fraud related to Santos’ campaign.

According to the charges, Santos’ goal was to ensure financial and logistical campaign support from the Republican National Committee. To qualify, Santos needed to show his campaign had raised “at least $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter.”

According to Associated Press reporting, Santos told reporters he had nothing to say about the newly filed charges. Santos has previously maintained his innocence, claiming he was the victim of a “witch hunt,” and has fought off calls for his resignation.

Santos is expected to appear in federal court on Oct. 27. If convicted, Santos likely will face a lengthy prison sentence.