GOP Congressman George Santos has been hit with a 23-count superseding indictment by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ).
The charges include conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC.
Also cited are aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making materially false statements to the United States House of Representatives.
The DOJ alleges Santos filed fraudulent fundraising reports with the FEC to obtain financial support for his campaign. He is also accused of charging the credit cards of campaign contributors without their authorization.
BREAKING: George Santos has been charged with conspiracy in a SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT. He now faces 23 felony counts. pic.twitter.com/uw1WJVFD42
— Mueller, She Wrote 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@MuellerSheWrote) October 10, 2023
These allegations suggest that Santos manipulated the electoral process to his advantage, inflating his campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen.
The FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith stated that Santos led multiple additional fraudulent criminal schemes, lying to the American public in the process.
This is not the first time Santos has faced legal trouble. In May, he was charged and arrested after a federal jury returned a 13-count indictment. The charges included seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, and one count of theft of public funds.
The current charges are in addition to these previous counts.
Among the new charges, counts 6-8 were for unlawful money transactions over $10,000. Counts 10 and 11 were for wire fraud related to unemployment benefits. The authorities allege that Santos collected $24,741 in COVID relief benefits while he was gainfully employed, earning a $120,000 salary.
🚨BREAKING:
The DOJ has charged George Santos on 23 criminal charges, including defrauding campaign donors and wire fraud.
Santos is being accused of running up multiple charges on the credit cards of campaign donors.
Expel George Santos now! pic.twitter.com/px7FRpPVAR
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 10, 2023
Counts 12 and 13 are related to Santos’ alleged false statements to the House of Representatives. He is accused of making false statements about his finances, including overstating his income and lying about an investment.
It is important to note that these charges are allegations at this point, and Santos is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, these developments raise serious questions about the integrity of our political system and the individuals we elect to represent us.
The case against Santos appears to be part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to hold elected officials accountable for their actions. While it is crucial to ensure our elected representatives uphold the highest standards of integrity, it is equally important to ensure that these investigations are conducted fairly and without political bias.
