On Friday, April 25, a U.S. district judge sentenced disgraced former Rep. George Santos to 87 months in jail. As Judge Joanna Seybert handed down the sentence, she referred to Santos as “an arrogant fraudster talking out of both sides of his mouth.” Back in August of 2024, Santos pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud after he admitted to lying about his background and committing identity theft in an attempt to boost his political career.
George Santos Sobbed
As his lengthy sentence was handed down, the former New York representative became emotional. New York Times reporter Michael Gold shared on X that George Santos “covered his face and was sobbing” as Judge Seybert handed down his sentence for “flagrant thievery.”
Santos Pens Letter
Several days before being sentenced, George Santos penned a letter to the judge claiming to be “profoundly sorry” for what he had done and argued that over 7 years was far too harsh. “Every sunrise since that plea has carried the same realization: I did this, me. I am responsible,” George Santos wrote. “But saying I’m sorry doesn’t require me to sit quietly while these prosecutors try and drop an anvil on my head.”
Judge Not Swayed By Letter
George Santos’ pleas did not sway the judge. Santos pleaded guilty back on August 19, 2024, to both wire fraud and identity theft and openly admitted that he had blatantly lied about his background and committed identity theft all to boost a political campaign.
Santos Ousted From House In 2023
George Santos was ousted from the House of Representatives in 2023, just a year after flipping the congressional seat red. He is the sixth representative in history to be ousted from the chamber. After his sentencing, an emotional Santos said, “I betrayed the confidence entrusted to me by constituents, donors, colleagues, and this court.” He must report to prison no later than July 28 and must also pay restitution of $373,000.
Lengthy Sentence Request
U.S. Attorney John J. Durham filed with the Justice Department asking Santos to be given a lengthy sentence, arguing that his “unrepentant” social media posts about his legal issues were proof that he deserved a “significant sentence.”
“Put plainly, Santos is not genuinely remorseful, despite accepting responsibility as part of his allocution,” Durham wrote. “If he were, his actions would be different. At a minimum, one would expect Santos to approach sentencing with a modicum of restraint so as not to undermine the attorneys who have advocated for leniency on his behalf.”
“Instead, however, Santos has reverted to form and approaches sentencing with belligerence and an insatiable appetite for ‘likes,’ blaming his situation on everyone except himself,” the federal prosecutor added in his note.
Santos Made Mockery of the Election
Attorneys had also argued that Santos had “made a mockery of the country’s election system. From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’ unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,“ they wrote.
After he was ousted, Santos started a podcast that he called. “Pants on Fire.” He also made money from Cameo and started OnlyFans to pay for his legal bills. Santos reportedly spent donor money for Botox treatments and some of his OnlyFans porn website funds on Italian goods and luxury vacations.
