Former congressman George Santos was sentenced on Friday to more than 7 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Once hailed as a rising GOP star, Santos now faces the consequences of a sprawling web of lies and criminal schemes that have shattered his political career and left his reputation in ruins.
Federal prosecutors described Santos as a “pathological liar and fraudster,” arguing in court filings that his offenses were not mere lapses in judgment but part of a calculated pattern of deceit that defrauded donors, misled the public, and undermined the democratic process.
The saga of Santos’s downfall began in 2022 when he won election to represent parts of Queens and Long Island in Congress. At the time, he was a relatively unknown figure on the national stage.
But local reporting by The North Shore Leader raised early red flags about discrepancies in his personal and financial disclosures. Those concerns were largely ignored during the campaign but quickly escalated after his surprise victory in November.
BREAKING: Disgraced former Republican Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to 87 months in prison. pic.twitter.com/lQzQ9YwrS1
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