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George Santos pleads guilty. What is the expelled congressman accused of?

Santos, who lied about being Jewish, pleaded guilty to two of the 23 counts after reaching a deal with prosecutors that could bring him up to eight years in prison.

Moments after former Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft, he told reporters he was doing the right thing by admitting his lies.

“Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I would take, but it is necessary because it is the right thing to do,” the New York Republican said Monday. “It is not just an admission of my misrepresentation to others, but rather an admission of the lies I have told myself over the past few years.”

The confession comes nearly a year after he was indicted on 23 counts, including laundering campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, charging donors' credit cards and accepting unemployment benefits while on the job. He would have been tried in September had he not reached a guilty plea agreement with prosecutors.

“Today, for what appears to be the first time since he began his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos has spoken the truth about his criminal activities,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a press release. “His blatant and disgraceful conduct has been exposed and will be punished.”

U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert said Santos could face up to eight years in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 7. He faces a minimum of two years in prison and has agreed to pay nearly $374,000 as part of the plea agreement.

Here's a look at all the allegations against the former politician in the short time since he entered Congress in January 2023, including lying that he is Jewish and the grandson of a Holocaust survivor.

Why was George Santos expelled from Congress?

The House of Representatives voted 311 to 114 to impeach Santos in December after he was charged.

Before Santos' ouster, a report by the House Ethics Committee found substantial evidence that he had committed federal crimes and misused campaign funds for personal expenses, such as purchasing Botox and luxury clothing brands.

The report includes more than 170,000 pages of documents, testimony and financial statements alleging that Santos attempted to “exploit” his campaign for the House of Representatives, deceive donors and lie about his campaign finances.

Both Democrats and Republicans called for Santos' resignation before impeachment. Lawmakers who voted against his expulsion expressed concerns that it was premature because he had not yet been convicted.

At the time, Santos vehemently denied the report's findings and called the investigators “biased.”

What did the Ethics Committee find?

The ethics committee's report found that Santos had fabricated numerous details about his past, including that he had worked at the investment bank Goldman Sachs.

A subcommittee set up to investigate the investigation into the former congressman reported on “a complex web of illegal activities involving Congressman Santos' campaign and personal and business finances.”

“Representative George Santos cannot be trusted,” the subcommittee report states. “On almost every occasion, he placed his desire for personal gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law and ethical principles.”

Santos lied that he was Jewish and the grandson of Holocaust survivors

Other lies told by Santos include the claim that he is the grandson of Holocaust survivors and is Jewish.

He claimed his maternal grandfather was forced to flee Ukraine to Brazil to escape Nazism, CNN reported.

In December 2022, the New York Times reported that Santos lied about his college education and his bank job and falsified documents about his financial situation.

Weeks later, Santos told the New York Post that he had actually fabricated his work experience and college degree, adding, “My sins whitewash my resume.” He also responded to reports that he had lied when he said he was “Jewish.”

Former employee accuses Santos of sexual harassment

In February 2023, a former staffer filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee accusing him of sexual harassment.

The aide claimed that Santos touched him inappropriately in the New York congressman's private office. Santos denied the allegation made by the aide, who is editor in chief of the Ohio-based news outlet Scioto Valley Guardian.

“It's weird,” Santos told CNN at the time. “Of course I deny this claim.”

Contributors: Bart Jansen, Ken Tran, Rachel Looker

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