Representative George Santos (R-NY3) speaks to reporters outside federal court on Long Island in May after he was charged with 13 federal crimes.
Brian Mann/NPR
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Brian Mann/NPR
Representative George Santos (R-NY3) speaks to reporters outside federal court on Long Island in May after he was charged with 13 federal crimes.
Brian Mann/NPR
One of the many mysteries surrounding New York’s struggling Republican Representative, George Santos, has finally been solved.
A federal court on Long Island today released the names of the two individuals who came forward with $500,000 bail for Santos.
It turned out that one was his father, Gercino dos Santos Jr. The other is his aunt, Elma Santos Preven.
Their support helped set Santos free after he was charged on May 10 with 13 counts including fraud, money laundering and theft. He pleads not guilty.
Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee released a statement on Thursday saying its investigation into Santos is running parallel to the Justice Department’s prosecution.
“The committee is aware of the risks associated with dual investigations and is liaising with the Department of Justice to mitigate potential risks,” the committee’s leaders said in a statement.
They note that about 40 subpoenas have been issued and said their investigation is being expanded to include allegations that Santos “cheated to receive unemployment insurance benefits.”
Santos family members bailed him out
For weeks, the identities of Santos’ bond backers remained unknown, sparking much speculation. On May 25, a group of news organizations including NPR asked the court to make their names public.
Santos and his attorney argued that revealing the name would subject the congressman’s supporters to public backlash and could put them at risk of “attack and harassment”.
“There is great concern for the health, safety and well-being” of individuals, said Joseph Murray, an attorney for Santos.
Lawyers representing the media argued in a legal filing that transparency serves the public interest.
“That identity … has been concealed from public scrutiny, especially regarding specific allegations against Congressman Santos, only raises suspicions that [they] could be lobbyists, donors, or even congressmen or public officials seeking to influence,” wrote Jeremy Chase and Alexandra Settelmayer of the Davis Wright Tremaine firm.
Two federal judges sided with the news organizations, leading to the release of the names Thursday.
investigation continues
Santos won the election last November in New York’s 3rd congressional district. Soon after, news accounts revealed that he had fabricated much of his personal and professional background, lying about his family legacy, education and professional achievements. .
Those actions have prompted numerous local, state, and federal investigations.
In today’s statement, the House Ethics Committee outlined the scope of its investigation, including possible “illegal activity” during Santos’ 2022 congressional campaign, violations of the law. federal conflicts of interest and allegations of sexual misconduct in facilitating “an individual seeking employment in his own congress”. office.”
Indeed, the financial backing of Santos’ bonds is only an unanswered question about the source of his funds. Critics say it’s also unclear how he funded his congressional campaign and how he spent it.
Santos has admitted to some of his deception but has repeatedly denied any criminal wrongdoing.
