George Santos pleads not guilty to additional charges

Image source, BBC Sport

Congressman George Santos pleaded not guilty to 10 additional federal charges during a court appearance Friday.

In a superseding indictment earlier this month, prosecutors accused Mr Santos of wire fraud, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and other crimes.

Mr Santos was first indicted in May, and has already pleaded not guilty to the first 13 charges.

The judge set a trial date of 9 September 2024.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the night before he appeared in court, Mr Santos said he was entitled to due process.

In the superseding indictment, federal prosecutors had painted a picture of widespread alleged fraud perpetrated by the New York Republican as he campaigned for a seat in Congress.

They charged Mr Santos with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of making false statements to the FEC, two counts of falsifying records to the FEC, and access device fraud.

They said he submitted bogus campaign finance records– including reporting a fake $500,000 loan to his campaign — and charged his donors’ credit cards without their consent.

Earlier in October, one of his campaign staffers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Mr Santos has also faced intense scrutiny and calls to resign, after the New York Times and other outlets revealed he had fabricated significant portions of his biography and resume.

It is not certain whether Mr Santos will still be in Congress by the time his September 2024 trial begins.

The expulsion effort faces steep odds, however; a two-thirds majority is required to expel a member from the US House of Representatives. Republicans hold a slim majority in the chamber and may be loathe to lose even one seat.

Even if he survives an expulsion attempt, it is not clear clear whether Mr Santos will still be running for election by the time the trial begins.

He faces a June 2024 primary that he must win in order to advance to a general election. Challengers are lined up against him, support has evaporated in his district, and, several of his Republican colleagues in the state have turned their backs on him.