Former New York Republican Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud in a case that also saw him expelled from the House of Representatives. Santos, a bizarre public figure who appears to have conned his way into a congressional seat in addition to defrauding multiple people, is now being held accountable for his actions.
Over seven years in prison for ‘pathological liar’ George Santos
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced Santos to 87 months in prison for fraud, NBC News reported. Santos had been charged with a host of fraud charges, as he illegally solicited campaign donations under false pretenses and used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle. Santos entered a guilty plea to two charges, and his lawyers had asked for a lenient sentence of two years. However, prosecutors argued that Santos committed “unparalleled crimes” and that he was a “pathological liar” who did not show remorse and would likely offend again if not given a significant punishment. They pointed to his seeming lack of remorse for his actions, including suggestions he has made that President Donald Trump should pardon him or commute his sentence. In the end, Seybert agreed with prosecutors and sentenced Santos to the prison term they requested.
A long string of fraud and deceit
The prison sentence for Santos puts a period on a long and bizarre political story. Soon after winning a surprise victory in his 2022 congressional race, The New York Times published a report on Santos that concluded that he had fabricated or greatly exaggerated many of the details of his life and resume, including his education, work history and the source of his wealth. As a member of Congress, Santos regularly faced new accusations of lying about his background and identity and allegations about past acts of fraud, including stealing money from a homeless veteran. A picture emerged of Santos as a serial liar and fraudster, even as he downplayed or deflected many of the accusations against him. After his federal indictment, Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023, one of only a handful of legislators ever removed by their colleagues.
George Santos may finally be dropping out of the public eye
Since leaving office, Santos has tried to capitalize on his fame and notoriety through venues such as podcasting, telling City & State in March 2024 that he was working on a documentary and reality TV show. For now, his fate seems decided, with a sentence of more than seven years in prison. Santos previously indicated that he feared for his safety in prison and would request solitary confinement, according to Gothamist. However, it remains to be seen if he will follow through with this request now that he has received a lengthy prison sentence. It is also unclear if or how he will follow up on his pledge to seek clemency from Trump.
For now, Santos looks to spend a long time behind bars as his history of deceit and fraud has finally caught up with him. Santos’ extended prison sentence adds a final chapter to one of the most unusual stories to hit American politics in recent years.
