Another former aide to War Rep. George Santos has pleaded guilty to fraud charges, The New York Times reports.
Sam Miele, a former Santos campaign fundraiser, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of wire fraud, admitting he impersonated a House staffer in an attempt to raise funds for the New York Republican.
Miele reportedly reached a plea deal with prosecutors, although the terms of the deal were not disclosed.
George Santos’ former campaign treasurer pleads guilty to a felony as the congressman faces his own federal indictment
Miele’s guilty plea comes weeks after Santos’ former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, dropped charges and pleaded guilty to conspiring with the congressional candidate to commit fraud.
According to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Marks pleaded guilty to conspiring with the congressional candidate to: commit wire fraud; make materially false statements; interfere with the work of the Federal Election Commission; and commit aggravated identity theft.
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Almost immediately after the Republican newcomer was elected to the House of Representatives in November, his reputation crumbled when numerous reports surfaced of blatant lies he told during the campaign about his past, alleged fraud he had committed over several years, and even accusations of sexual misconduct. harassment.
The bombshell allegations sparked a bipartisan backlash and prompted investigations by the House Ethics Committee, the Justice Department, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In May, Santos was arrested and charged with 13 counts of fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements; in October, prosecutors announced that they had added 10 new counts to the indictment, bringing the total number of criminal counts against him to 23.
The House of Representatives voted against expelling Rep. George Santos following federal criminal charges
The newly minted congressman also allegedly stole people’s identities and then charged his donors’ credit cards without their authorization, often for personal gain. Additionally, prosecutors allege Santos falsified records, created and filed false campaign reports listing nonexistent loans, and forged and stole campaign contributions.
If convicted, Santos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Despite mounting controversies — which include dramatically “embellishing” his resume, misleading voters about his heritage, allegedly defrauding veterans out of $3,000 intended for his dog’s cancer treatment and allegedly stealing puppies from Amish dog breeders (the last two he vehemently denies) — Santos has refused to give resignation in Congress.
In March, Santos filed to run for re-election in 2024. The Democratic congressman who previously represented the New York district announced in October that he would challenge Santos to retake the seat.
A recent effort to expel Santos from Congress, led by New York Republicans, failed in the House of Representatives.
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Source: HIS Education