George Santos pleads guilty, blames ambition for ‘decisions that were unethical’

George Santos pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The case led to him getting expelled from his seat in Congress in December — an 11-month tenure that involved early allegations of fraud. He told reporters his high political ambitions veered him “to make decisions that were unethical,” The Associated Press reported.
The 36-year-old New York resident “is likely to spend at least six years in prison and owes more than $570,000 in restitution and forfeiture after tearfully admitting that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of 11 people, including his own family members, to make donations to his campaign,” per AP.
His sentencing is Feb. 7, and he will remain free on bond until sentencing, according to Politico.
“I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters. I deeply regret my conduct,” Santos said, per AP.
When he was elected in 2022, he flipped the Long Island congressional seat from Democratic to Republican, “helping cement a narrow GOP majority in the House,” NBC News reported.
Shortly after getting elected as a representative, speculation started about the accuracy of some of his claims, including his wealth, background, education and “a lie that his mother perished in the 9/11 attacks,” per Politico.
A U.S. House ethics investigation committee found “overwhelming evidence” that he had broken the law, which led to his expulsion from the House in December, Politico reported.
According to BBC, his expulsion made him “the first member of Congress to be expelled in more than 20 years, and only the sixth in history.”
Santos told reporters outside the courthouse that pleading guilty was the “right thing to do,” per ABC News.
“This plea is not just an admission of guilt,” Santos told the media, per ABC News. “It’s an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law.”