Former US Representative George Santos, a New York Republican whose brief and controversial political career ended in disgrace, was sentenced to 87 months–more than seven years–in federal prison on Friday after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft earlier this year. The sentencing, delivered by a federal judge, marks the culmination of a dramatic fall from grace for a figure once seen as a rising political outsider.
Santos, who pleaded guilty in August 2024, was accused of a wide range of financial crimes, including stealing the identities of donors and family members to fund his campaign and misusing campaign funds for personal luxury expenses. The court also ordered him to pay $373,749.97 in restitution and forfeit more than $200,000, though Santos has claimed an inability to pay immediately.
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The former congressman’s scandal extended far beyond financial misconduct. Santos admitted to fabricating key aspects of his personal and professional background, which included false claims about his education, employment history, and family heritage. Prosecutors described him as a “pathological liar” who repeatedly misled the public and exploited his notoriety for personal gain.
Despite his legal team’s request for a minimum two-year sentence, federal prosecutors argued for a longer term, citing the seriousness and breadth of Santos’ offenses. The court ultimately agreed with prosecutors, noting Santos’ lack of remorse, ongoing public denials, and efforts to profit from his infamy even after being indicted.
“From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum, per NBC News.
Santos’ political downfall reached its peak in December 2023, when he was expelled from the House of Representatives following a damning House Ethics Committee investigation. The report concluded that Santos had leveraged his candidacy for personal enrichment, violating public trust and campaign finance laws.
After his expulsion, Santos flirted with an independent bid for office, but later abandoned those efforts amid mounting legal pressure.
He is scheduled to report to prison on July 25, 2025, to begin serving his sentence.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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