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The Republican lawmaker, whose 3rd District on Long Island includes parts of Nassau County and Queens, pleaded not guilty to 10 new counts in US District Court in Central Islip on Friday, Oct. 27.
Judge Joanna Seybert set a trial date for Thursday, Sept. 9, 2024.
In their 23-count superseding indictment, which includes allegations of wire fraud and identity theft, prosecutors outlined two new schemes that Santos allegedly spearheaded.
He’s accused of stealing the identities and financial information of contributors to his campaign between December 2021 and August 2022.
He then charged their credit cards thousands of dollars without their permission, prosecutors said.
On one occasion, Santos allegedly charged $12,000 to the donor’s credit card before allegedly transferring the bulk of the money into his personal bank account.
The second alleged scheme involved Santos’ former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks, who has already pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy for her involvement.
According to prosecutors, Santos and Marks submitted false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) during his 2022 congressional campaign, inflating their fundraising numbers.
The reason for doing so, prosecutors said, was to ensure that Santos and his campaign qualified for financial and logistical support from the National Republican Congressional Committee
Among the loans that Santos claimed to have made to his campaign was one for $500,000 when he actually had less than $8,000 at the time, prosecutors said.
Santos previously pleaded not guilty to 13 federal charges in May 2023 stemming from three separate alleged fraud schemes.
Among them are allegations he stole from donors and illegally received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday’s court appearance came one day after New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a Republican, introduced a resolution to expel Santos from the House of Representatives.
The resolution is privileged, meaning House members must consider it within two legislative days.
“Santos is a stain on the House,” D’Esposito said on X, formerly Twitter. “This con man must be expelled.”
Expulsion from Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote. Only 20 federal lawmakers have been expelled in the nation’s history: 15 in the Senate and five in the House.
Responding to the resolution on X, Santos denied reports that he has emptied out his House office and again vowed he will not resign.
“I’m entitled to due process and not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking,” he said. “God bless!”
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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