Former US Vice President George Santos will plead guilty to fraud
Former congressman from New York George Santos he is expected to plead guilty to his extensive fraud charges, according to US media reports.
Mr. Santos, who was the first member The Congress will be expelled in more than 20 years, it is facing 23 federal felony charges who allege fraud, money laundering and misuse of campaign funds.
The Republican denied the charge last year.
Mr Santos is expected to appear in court on Monday in Central Islip, New York and change that, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner.
It is not clear what or how many charges he may plead guilty to.
He faced a maximum sentence of 20 years if convicted on all charges.
Mr. Santos was removed from the Congress of the Americas in December 2023 after allegations and a report of misconduct.
The New York Republican became only the sixth lawmaker in history to be removed from the House, and the first since 2002.
His short time in office has been accompanied by a number of controversies, alleged lies about his past life and allegations of fraud.
He was accused of lying about his Wall Street job, college degree and Jewish ancestry. He was also accused of lying that his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and defrauding Amish dog breeders in Pennsylvania out of thousands of dollars.
The House Ethics Committee issued a scathing report accusing him of misusing campaign funds for personal gain.
The panel said Mr Santos spent campaign money on Botox treatments, credit card debt, OnlyFans – a platform where users pay for content, including pornography – and trips to the Hamptons beach resort in New York.
Prosecutors and Mr. Santos’ legal team were preparing for his trial, which was due to begin in September. He last appeared in court on Tuesday for a hearing, according to CBS.
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