Embattled congressman surrenders to authorities

Republican congressman George Santos has pleaded not guilty to all 13 federal charges filed against him, including fraud and money laundering.

Mr Santos, 34, appeared in a federal court on Long Island on Wednesday, hours after being formally charged.

The New York representative has been plagued by scandal since he took office in January and much of his biography was found to be fabricated.

If convicted of the top charges, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Mr Santos was released on $500,000 (£400,000) bail bond, secured by three individuals whose identities were not released.

He will be confined to his home state of New York, in Washington DC and places in between. Other travel must be approved in advance.

Joseph Murray, a lawyer for Mr Santos, told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that the Republican still planned to seek re-election, and the charges “absolutely” would not deter him.

Mr Santos “is not running from anything”, Mr Murray said, adding he was “proud” the lawmaker could “stand tall”.

Speaking to the Associated Press earlier on Wednesday, Mr Santos said the charges were “new to me”.

The 20-page indictment alleges the Republican participated in three elaborate fraud schemes.

First, according to federal prosecutors, he defrauded those who gave him money for his House of Representatives campaign, instead using the funds for personal expenses including luxury designer clothing and credit card payments.

Second, Mr Santos allegedly participated in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme, claiming Covid-19 government assistance despite earning a salary of $120,000 (£95,000) through his employment with a Florida-based investment firm.

Finally, prosecutors claim the Republican misled the Congress about his finances.

He faces 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.

US Attorney Breon Peace said the indictment “seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations”.

“Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself,” Mr Peace said.

Mr Santos is expected to be arraigned at a Long Island federal courthouse at 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Wednesday. He has been fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

The Long Island lawmaker has been embroiled in scandal since he took office in January.

He has also been accused of lying about his college degrees and his work experience; violating campaign finance and conflict of interest laws; falsely claiming his grandparents survived the Holocaust; and creating a fake animal charity that he used to siphon away cash meant for a veteran’s dying dog.

Campaign finance forms uncovered by US media show a series of filings of $199.99, exactly one cent below the $200 threshold in which receipts are required, raising questions about how his election funds were being spent.

In a television interview in February, Mr Santos admitted to being a “terrible liar” in an attempt to be accepted by his party. But he insisted the lies were “not about tricking the people” and he denied any criminal wrongdoing.

In February, House Democrats filed a resolution to expel Mr Santos. Republicans hold a narrow 222-213 majority in the House.

He has also previously faced calls to resign from within his own party.

“I can’t wait for him to be gone,” fellow New York congressman Republican Marc Molinaro said on Wednesday.

Mr Santos recused himself from two House committees over the “ongoing attention” earlier this year, but he resisted the growing pressure to step down, announcing in April that he would seek a second term in 2024.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that Republicans would withhold judgement until the outcome of his case.

“In America, you’re innocent until proven guilty,” he told reporters after emerging from a weekly meeting with Republican House members.