Republican Rep.George Santosis banned from traveling outside Washington, D.C., Long Island, or New York City — or applying for a new passport — without “prior permission” while he awaits trial in his ongoing criminal fraud case, a court has ordered.
The release order also shows that Santos will be subject to “pretrial supervision” and “subject to random home contacts and verification of employment as deemed appropriate to monitor compliance with the conditions of release.”
He also has been barred from having contact with at least four people, whose names were not publicly revealed.
New York Rep. George Santos.John Nacion/UPI/Shutterstock
Noting that Santos' aunt and father don’t own a home they could use as collateral against the bond, the judge told the two the money “could go against your credit rating, your ability to get a mortgage. You’d owe that money to the government. So I want to make sure that you both understand that.”
The judge added the lawmaker is “allowed to travel between New York and Washington. That he’s allowed to do. He is not allowed to travel anywhere else without prior permission."
“So you might want to call him from time to time and say hey, are you going to be in town? Tell me where you’re going to be,” the judge continued. “So I would advise both of you to give him a call and say, this is on your behalf, let me know if you’re going to be traveling.”
In anindictment, federal prosecutors say that the congressman allegedly “devised and executed a scheme” aimed at defrauding donors to his 2022 political campaign.
That scheme, prosecutors allege, included applying for and receiving unemployment benefits at the height of the pandemic — while he was employed and running a congressional campaign. The fraud continued, the indictment adds, when Santos began pocketing campaign contributions to buy designer clothing and pay off his personal debts.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peacesaid in a statementannouncing the arrest that “the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself.”
Santos has generated substantial controversy since his election to Congress in November, particularly after abombshellNew York Timesreportfound that many of the claims he made on the campaign trail andon his resume— like his level of education, previous jobs and family ties to the Holocaust — were unsubstantiated.
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If Santos is convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top counts, according to the Justice Department.
His next court date is scheduled for June 30.
source: people.com
