US Republican congressman George Santos described the case towards him a “witch hunt” as he pleaded not responsible to costs of fraud, cash laundering and theft of public funds.
The 34-year-old US politician appeared in courtroom in New York and pleaded not responsible to the 13 costs towards him, round 5 hours after his arrest.
Prosecutors declare he used election marketing campaign donations to purchase designer garments, lied about being a millionaire, and picked up unemployment advantages.
After leaving courtroom proceedings, Santos mentioned “it’s a witch hunt” including that he would clear his title and wouldn’t resign and can run for re-election.
He may resist 20 years in jail if convicted.
Santos has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of cash laundering, one depend of theft of public funds, and two counts of constructing materially false statements to the House of Representatives.
The indictment costs Santos with defrauding potential political supporters by laundering funds to pay for his private bills and illegally receiving unemployment advantages whereas he was employed.
He can also be accused of constructing false statements to the House of Representatives about his property, revenue and liabilities.
He was launched from custody on a $500,000 (£396,000) bond.
Since he was elected to Congress in November, Santos has been on the centre of an internet of extraordinary revelations and accusations masking every part from his heritage to jobs he merely by no means held.
Federal prosecutors have been inspecting false assertion allegations in Santos’s marketing campaign filings.
Federal prosecutor Breon Peace mentioned 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,” he added.
Santos has repeatedly defied calls to resign, after particulars of his fictitious resume got here to mild. Shortly after his election victory, a New York Times investigation discovered various false claims he made on his CV about his private {and professional} historical past.
He is accused of fabricating components of his CV whereas working for Congress.
Among different claims, Santos mentioned he had levels from New York University and Baruch College, regardless of neither establishment’s having any file of his attending. He claimed to have labored at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, which additionally was unfaithful.
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Many of his fellow New York Republicans known as on him to resign after his historical past of fabrications was revealed.
US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has mentioned the costs towards Santos are “serious”, however added, “there’s a presumption of innocence”.
Questions about Santos’s funds additionally surfaced.
In regulatory filings, Santos mentioned he had loaned his marketing campaign and associated political motion committees greater than $750,000 (£594,000), however it was unclear how he would have come into that sort of wealth so shortly after years wherein he struggled to pay his lease and confronted a number of eviction proceedings.
In a monetary disclosure kind, Santos had reported making $750,000 a yr plus dividends from a household firm, the Devolder Organisation. He later described that enterprise as a dealer for gross sales of luxurious gadgets together with yachts and plane.
The enterprise was integrated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working as a salesman for a corporation accused by federal authorities of working an unlawful Ponzi scheme.
Source: information.sky.com”