FAIRTON, NEW JERSEY: Disgraced former US congressman George Santos surrendered to authorities on Friday to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence. The 37-year-old ex-lawmaker, expelled from Congress in 2023, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft after misusing donor funds for personal luxuries.
Santos reported to the federal prison in Fairton, New Jersey, as confirmed by the Bureau of Prisons. Prosecutors argued that his social media activity contradicted his claims of remorse, leading Judge Joanna Seybert to impose a sentence of seven years and three months in April.
The downfall of the Long Island representative followed revelations that he fabricated nearly his entire background, including false claims about his education, religion, and career. Elected to the House of Representatives in 2022, Santos was indicted a year later for stealing campaign donors’ identities and misusing their credit cards.
A congressional ethics investigation found that Santos diverted funds for Botox treatments, subscriptions to the OnlyFans adult website, luxury Italian goods, and vacations to the Hamptons and Las Vegas. His elaborate deceptions included falsely stating he worked for Goldman Sachs, was Jewish, and had been a college volleyball star.
The congressional probe concluded that Santos “fraudulently exploited every aspect of his House candidacy,“ leading to his historic expulsion. He became only the third lawmaker ejected from Congress since the Civil War, joining a list previously reserved for traitors and convicted criminals. – AFP
