Disgraced Republican Indicted On Fraud Charges

Topline

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) will be arraigned in a federal court in New York Wednesday afternoon, hours after the first-term Republican—whose first four months in office have been plagued by scandals—was indicted on fraud and money laundering charges, and as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle call on him to step down or be kicked out of the House.

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was indicted Wednesday on 13 counts of fraud, money laundering and … [+] falsifying statements to Congress.

CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Key Facts

Santos was arrested and taken into custody Wednesday morning, and faces 13 federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering and falsifying financial statements to the House of Representatives.

Santos, who faces mounting pressure to resign or be expelled from Congress, is set to be arraigned before Judge Anne Y. Shields in New York’s East District in Central Islip, New York, at 1:30 p.m., CNN reporter Manu Raju first reported.

Santos will reportedly hold a press conference following his arraignment.

If convicted, Santos faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the top counts, according to the Department of Justice.

What To Watch For

Santos, who launched his 2024 reelection campaign last month, can still serve in Congress while indicted—a precedent set by a group of four lawmakers who were indicted since 2015 and continued to serve even after their indictments, the New York Times reported. Three of the four resigned after or shortly before pleading guilty, though Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) remains in the Senate after a federal jury failed to reach a verdict.

Topline

Key Facts

What To Watch For

Further Reading