A Brooklyn judge rejected George Santos’ request to dismiss certain charges in his criminal fraud case on Friday.
Brooklyn federal judge Joanna Seybert decided all 23 charges against the truth-challenged former Long Island congressman will stand.
Santos, a Republican, was seeking to dismiss three counts of aggravated identity theft. His legal team argued that Santos’ campaign simply overcharged donors’ credit cards but did not steal anyone’s identity.
However, federal prosecutors said the Santos campaign listed the overcharged donations under new names, including his own family and various associates without their consent, constituting identity theft.
Santos, 35, was kicked out of Congress in December 2023 for concocting an astonishing number of lies about his background and his finances — including his education, religion, family history, professional experience and property ownership. He began serving his term representing New York’s 3rd District in January of that year.
Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to fill Santos’ seat in February. Santos attempted to launch an independent campaign for the spot during the 2024 cycle but raised no money and quickly dropped out of the race.
However, his bigger problem is the criminal case, with a trial scheduled to begin Sept. 9 on Long Island. The charges against Santos include wire fraud, unemployment fraud, aggravated identity theft and lying to the Federal Election Commission.
Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges, though he has talked with federal prosecutors about a potential plea deal.
With News Wire Services