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The Republican lawmaker, whose 3rd District represents parts of Nassau County and Queens, is expected to be arraigned on the sealed charge or charges in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, May 10, according to the outlet, which cited three sources familiar with the matter.
It was not immediately clear what crime or crimes Santos, age 34, is being accused of, but the federal probe is believed to center around campaign finance violations.
In January 2023, the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) accusing Santos of illegally using campaign funds for personal expenses, CBS News reports.
The complaint also accuses Santos of concealing the sources of his campaign donations, calling into question how he was able to make a $705,000 loan to his campaign despite financial disclosure reports showing that he only made $55,000 in 2020.
"The concealed true source behind $705,000 in contributions to Santos's campaign could be a corporation or foreign national — both of which are categorically barred from contributing to federal candidates,” CBS News quoted the complaint as saying.
Also highlighted in the complaint are several expenses for $199.99 that are listed by Santos’ campaign finance reports, the outlet says. That amount is noticeably just below the $200 threshold that requires campaigns to provide receipts and itemized details to the FEC.
"The sheer number of these just-under-$200 disbursements is implausible, and some payments appear to be impossible given the nature of the item or service covered,” the outlet quoted the complaint as saying.
Tuesday’s announcement came after months of seemingly-endless controversies for Santos, who first made national headlines after admitting that he lied about much of his background leading up to the 2022 election, including where he worked and went to school.
He is facing numerous investigations into his personal and campaign finances, including from the House Ethics Committee, the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, and the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
In March 2023, Santos formally confessed to defrauding a Brazilian shop clerk of $1,300 in clothing and shoes.
The admission is part of an agreement requested by Santos’ attorney in January 2022 and accepted by Brazilian prosecutors that ensure he won’t be prosecuted for the crime, according to CNN.
Santos has defended other claims that have since come under fire from fact-checkers, including that his mother was inside the South Town of the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, despite the New York Times reporting that she wasn’t even in the country.
He also maintained that he “lost four employees” in the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in June 2016 even though none of the 49 victims ever worked at the companies named in Santos’ biography.
In April 2023, Santos announced that he was "proudly" running for re-election.
A criminal conviction would not necessarily mean the end of Santos’ political career. Under the Constitution, a member of the House or Senate can only be removed from office if they are expelled by a two-thirds majority vote of their colleagues, even if they are convicted of a felony.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
Click here to read the full report from CNN.
Related Stories:
- 'I've Been A Terrible Liar,' George Santos Admits After He 'Got Away With It' In 2020
- ‘No Fortune For Fraud’: NY Reps Introduce Legislation Targeting George Santos
- House Ethics Committee Investigating George Santos For Financial Crimes, Sexual Harassment
- AR-15 Would Be 'National Gun Of America' Under Bill Co-Sponsored By Nassau Rep. George Santos
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