Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives for a court docket listening to at U.S. District Court docket Japanese District of New York Lengthy Island Courthouse on August 19, 2024 in West Islip, New York. (Picture by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photographs)
Federal prosecutors are questioning expelled U.S. Rep. George Santos’ claims that the admitted felon and infamous liar wants extra time to pay over a half million {dollars} of restitution and forfeiture.
The disgraced Republican ex-congressman, who pleaded responsible at Central Islip federal court docket to wire fraud and identification theft and was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, requested U.S. District Decide Joanna Seybert for a six-month extension so he has till August to pay utilizing proceeds from his new weekly podcast, Pants on Hearth with George Santos. He wrote in a letter that the podcast affords “a promising revenue stream.” Prosecutors objected, arguing that Santos has not made any funds since he modified his plea — even if he beforehand earned $400,000 in Cameo appearances and one other $400,000 from showing in a documentary.
“Santos’ claim that his financial circumstances will have improved enough in the next six months to satisfy his forfeiture and restitution obligations is extremely speculative,” prosecutors wrote of their objection. “His letter fails to provide any accounting of his current financial condition; fails to offer any explanation of his dissipation of assets (including personal spending) in the months since his guilty plea; and omits any meaningful description of his extant arrangement with YW Productions,” which is producing the podcast that launched a month in the past.
Santos, who briefly represented New York State’s third congressional district on the North Shore of Nassau County and northeastern Queens, made historical past as one of many largest liars ever elected to Congress after he was discovered to have fabricated a lot of his life story. He was later indicted on a number of federal crimes, a few of which had been dropped in trade for his plea, and have become the sixth congressman ever expelled from workplace. He was ordered to pay $578,752.94 — $373,749.97 in restitution and $205,002.97 in forfeiture.
“I am dedicated to making amends for the wrongs I have committed,” Santos instructed reporters exterior of the courthouse in August. “This plea is not just an admission of guilt. It’s an acknowledgment I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law.”
Seybert acknowledged that Santos has but to observe via on his promise to pay when she partially granted the request — giving him a two 1/2-month adjournment as an alternative of the six months he had requested.
“Since the date that the defendant entered his plea of guilty, he has not made any payments toward the amount owed nor has he indicated that he has funds to do so, despite his promises and predictions,” the choose wrote in her order on Jan. 8. “As a one-time courtesy, this court will grant a short adjournment on the basis that the ends of justice will be served by this continuance.”
Santos will now be taught his destiny on April 25. He faces no less than two years and as much as seven years in federal jail. Prosecutors preserve that if Santos’ guarantees to pay go the best way of his debunked claims that his grandparents fled the Holocaust, mom died in reference to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror assaults, or that his staff died within the Pulse nightclub terrorist assault, authorities will nonetheless have the ability to seize his belongings to make sure his monetary obligations are met.
Prosecutors additionally raised considerations concerning the message that the delay sends on this case. Breon Peace, the U.S. Legal professional for the Japanese District of New York who resigned Jan. 10, wrote in his objection: “Allowing Santos to stave off sentencing specifically to monetize his infamy would send a message to the public that crime pays.”
Associated Story: An inventory of all of the lies George Santos has instructed
Associated story: The epic timeline of expelled Congress member’s year-long reign of error
