Politics

George Santos Pleads Not Guilty To New Charges

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Republican New York Rep. George Santos pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges in his superseding indictment, according to Axios.

Santos pleaded not guilty to 10 charges including identity theft, wire fraud and falsification of records, Axios reported. U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert scheduled Santos’ trial date for Sept. 9, 2024, according to NBC News.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) hit Santos with the superseding indictment Oct. 10. It accused Santos of “stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorization, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign,” according to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace.

Santos pleaded not guilty to the initial 13-count indictment May 10, which included seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. He was released on $500,000 bond and required to turn over his passport.

New York House Republicans have backed a resolution to expel Santos from the House, which would require a two-thirds vote, according to NBC News. Santos reiterated on Thursday that he would not resign, tweeting that he is “entitled to due process and not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking.”

Nancy Marks, Santos’ former campaign treasurer, pleaded guilty Oct. 5 to “conspiring with a congressional candidate to commit wire fraud, make materially false statements, obstruct the administration of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and commit aggravated identity theft,” according to the DOJ.

Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.