George Santos is going to prison, but will it stick?
On April 25, a federal judge handed down a seven-year prison sentence to the disgraced former congressman.
“He’s going to federal prison, and he’s going to be punished for his staggering fraud,” U.S. Attorney John J. Durham told reporters outside the courthouse in Islip, N.Y.
The first Republican ever to be expelled from Congress, Santos’ ethics violations ranged from defrauding donors and identity theft to lying about much of his background. Prosecutors said Santos, 36, had shown no genuine remorse and that a significant prison sentence was needed to prevent him from repeat scams and send a message to would-be con artists.
The defense argued that Santos’ actions “stemmed largely from misguided desperation related to his political campaign, rather than inherent malice.” They were seeking a two-year stint in the joint.
Instead, Santos was ordered to surrender by July 25, forfeit $200,000 and pay $370,000 in restitution to his victims. His attorneys denounced the ruling as “unnecessarily harsh” and said they will seek a pardon from President Donald Trump.
“I believe that seven years is an over the top politically influenced sentence and I implore that President Trump gives me a chance to prove I’m more than the mistakes I’ve made,” Santos said in a statement posted on his Spotify podcast.
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