(NationRise.com) – The US Attorney’s office recently filed a 23-count superseding indictment against Republican New York Representative George Santos in the US District Court for New York’s Eastern District. The GOP leader was charged with wire fraud, lying and falsifying records submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
These charges against Santos were in addition to the original indictment that authorities filed back in May. These included a count of theft of public funds, two of making false statements to the US Congress, three of money laundering, and seven of wire fraud.
In the indictment, US Attorney Breon Peace said that the New York lawmaker was formally charged with using the credit cards of his donors without their authorization, stealing people’s identities, and “lying to the FEC.” He added that Santos falsely inflated his campaign’s receipts with loan contributions and loans that didn’t exist and were stolen or “fabricated.” Peace pointed out that his office will “relentlessly” bring criminal charges against those who use the US electoral process as a chance to defraud Americans and government institutions.
The latest indictment against Santos alleged that the GOP leader was part of two fraudulent schemes in addition to those included in the previous indictment. According to a Department of Justice’s press release, Santos and his congressional campaign committee’s treasurer, Nancy Marks, executed a plan whose main goal was to get money for his campaign. They tried to make this happen by submitting fraudulent reports to the FEC and falsifying the fundraising numbers not only to mislead the agency but also the public and the party.
The DOJ also noted that Marks and Santos’ scheme was devised to guarantee his campaign managed to qualify for a program that the national party offered, as long as the campaign obtained $250,000 in one quarter from third-party contributors.
Copyright 2023, NationRise.com
