Federal Prosecutors File Criminal Charges Against George Santos

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Rep. George Santos (R-NY), CNN reported on Tuesday.

CNN cited three sources who are familiar with the case and said Santos may appear in court as early as Wednesday:

Santos is expected to appear as soon as Wednesday at federal court in New York’s eastern district, where the charges have been filed under seal.

The exact nature of the charges couldn’t immediately be learned but the FBI and the Justice Department public integrity prosecutors in New York and Washington have been examining allegations of false statements in Santos’ campaign finance filings and other claims.

An attorney for Santos declined to comment.

Santos was first elected to Congress in November. The following month, the New York Times revealed Santos fabricated much of his life story, including where he had worked, where he went to school, and his family ancestry.

On the campaign trail, he falsely claimed he was Jewish.

The congressman faces more serious questions about his finances. In the 2022 election cycle, he gave his campaign a $705,000 loan just two years after declaring no assets and a salary of $55,000 on a 2020 campaign disclosure form when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress.

This is a developing story.