Embattled GOP House Rep. George Santos Arrested on 13 Federal Criminal Charges
GOP House Rep. George Santos was officially arrested this week on federal criminal charges, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
Santos was arrested on Wednesday morning in Long Island, New York, and slapped with 13 federal charges connected to allegations he “induced” supporters to donate to his campaign under false pretenses.
The 34-year-old GOP politician was also accused of lying about his finances on congressional disclosure forms as well as applying for and receiving unemployment benefits despite being employed at an investment firm.
According to the federal indictment unsealed on Wednesday morning, Santos was charged with “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.”
The newly elected New York House Rep. was reportedly taken into custody at a Long Island federal courthouse on Wednesday morning and is expected to make his initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon.
“[The indictment] seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said of Santos’ arrest this week.
“Taken together,” Peace continued, “the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.”
"He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives."
- Indicted House Rep. George Santos Raised Less Than $675 Over a 90-day Period After Refunding $17k to Donors: Report
- Rep. George Santos Brands Indictment a 'Witch Hunt' After Pleading Not Guilty to 13 Federal Charges
- Embattled Rep. George Santos Slapped With Additional Charges for Wire Fraud and Identity Theft
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, it was first revealed the Justice Department planned to arrest Santos on federal criminal charges on Tuesday evening.
The New York congressman came under scrutiny late last year after winning his district’s congressional race when it was discovered he lied about a number of factors regarding his personal and professional history.
Following an investigation into the congressman’s allegedly illegal activities, the Justice Department revealed in a statement that Santos is accused of transferring money from political donors into his own personal bank accounts.
The DOJ also revealed Santos allegedly “fraudulently received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits."
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Although Santos was called to resign amid the federal probes into his alleged crimes, the embattled GOP House Rep. repeatedly refused to step down from Congress.
“Listen, George Santos should have resigned in December. George Santos should have resigned in January. George Santos should have resigned yesterday. And perhaps he’ll resign today,” fellow New York House Rep. Marc Molinaro said following his GOP colleague’s arrest.
“But sooner or later, whether he chooses to or not, both the truth and justice will be delivered to him.”