George Santos Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft

Ousted former Rep. 👤George Santos (R-N.Y.) pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Santos entered his plea Monday in federal court on Long Island, The Hillreported.

Even with his plea deal, Santos will likely see some jail time.

The Aggravated identity theft charge alone has a two-year mandatory minimum. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert said he will probably receive between 6.25 years and 7.25 years when he is sentenced on Feb. 7, based on federal guidelines.

“It’s clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions that were unethical and guilty,” Santos said while choking up.

“Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I’d take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do,” Santos said. “It’s not only a recognition of my misrepresentations to others, but more profoundly, it is my own recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years.”

When he was first elected to the House, Santos was lauded as the first openly gay Republican who is not an incumbent to win a House seat.

He was eventually expelled from the House after an Ethics Committee report revealed he deceived donors, stole from his campaign and used the funds for personal use. He was the sixth member to ever be thrown out of the House.

Santos, who claimed his innocence since he was charged, was engaged in plea negotiations with prosecutors for months.

“My actions have betrayed the trust of my supporters and constituents. … I accept full responsibility,” Santos said.