After being expelled from Congress, former Rep. Long Island liar George Santos is now trying to get out of jail.
Santos (R-NY) has negotiated with prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York leading the 23 federal charges against him, court records show.
“The parties are now engaged in plea negotiations with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial,” government attorneys wrote in a court filing Monday ahead of Tuesday morning’s pretrial status conference — where Santos is expected to appear in person.
The former fabulist lawmaker is staring down the barrel of more than 22 years in prison for alleged embezzlement, identity fraud and more.
Santos, 35, is openly worried about the possibility of being thrown in jail.
“I think everyone should be afraid of going to jail. It’s not a pretty place. I definitely want to work hard to avoid that,” he told CBS New York’s “The Point” Sunday.
“I will negotiate as best I can.”
George Santos may have been fired from Congress, but he won’t go quietly. AFP via Getty Images
Santos said he would agree to community service or some sort of plea deal that would spare him jail time.
In September, however, with Santos still enjoying the privileges of a member of Congress, he told reporters: “I will not accept a plea deal” and vowed “I can prove my innocence.”
Prosecutors allege the disgraced former congressman made unauthorized charges to donors’ credit cards, stole donors’ identities, lied to the Federal Election Commission, illegally received unemployment benefits, laundered money, and inflated his campaign finance statements.
The former representative has criticized the prosecutor for prosecuting him. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock
Santos had tried to hand over money to his former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in October.
A former Santos fundraiser, Samuel Miele, has also pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Santos is currently scheduled to go on trial from September 9, 2024, although prosecutors have sought to move the start date to May or June.
George Santos has now starred in Cameo. Getty Images
On December 1, Santos became the sixth member of the House ever to be fired following a damning report from the house’s Ethics Committee that alleged he “blatantly stole” from his campaign.
Seeking to cash in on his political demise, Santos has reportedly made a mint on Cameo, a video-sharing platform where celebrity film messages are on demand for members of the public.
Many of his messages featured pep talks in which Santos took advantage of his “big personality.”
When not sending greetings to strangers, Santos has embarked on a revenge tour against his enemies, filing ethics complaints against several members of Congress.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
