Rep George Santos, already under scrutiny, now faces 23 criminal charges brought by the U.S. Justice Department, which include accusations of defrauding campaign contributors and wire fraud.
The Republican stands accused by investigators of racking up numerous charges on the credit cards of campaign contributors.
These charges, which augment a previous indictment, also involve allegations of providing false information to the Federal Election Commission and House oversight committees.
No comments or statements have been made by Mr. Santos regarding the charges that were made public on Tuesday night.
‘Santos allegedly led multiple additional fraudulent criminal schemes, lying to the American public in the process,’ FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Smith said in a statement.
‘Anyone who attempts to violate the law as part of a political campaign will face punishment in the criminal justice system,’ he added.
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The charges introduced on Tuesday extend the allegations against the New York congressman, which originally consisted of 13 counts he pleaded not guilty to in May. The charges encompass the misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses and fraudulent unemployment benefit claims while employed.
Mr. Santos, when he spoke, accused the prosecutors of orchestrating a political “witch hunt” against him.
The latest indictment asserts that he charged in excess of $44,000 to his campaign over several months, using credit cards of contributors who were oblivious to the alleged deception.
According to the charging document, there was one instance in which he charged $12,000 to a contributor’s credit card, and he later transferred the majority of that sum into his personal bank account.
‘Santos falsely inflated the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen,’ Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.
‘This Office will relentlessly pursue criminal charges against anyone who uses the electoral process as an opportunity to defraud the public and our government institutions.’
Elected in 2022, Mr. Santos pulled off a surprising win in a congressional district that traditionally leaned Democrat. He made history as the first openly LGBT Republican to serve in Congress.
However, since assuming office in January, he has become entangled in several significant scandals.
He faces accusations of providing false information about his educational qualifications and work history, violating campaign finance and conflict of interest laws, making deceptive claims about his family’s history with the Holocaust, and operating a fraudulent animal charity to misappropriate funds earmarked for a veteran’s terminally ill dog.
Back in February, House Democrats presented a resolution for Mr. Santos’s expulsion, an action that held symbolic significance within the Republican-controlled chamber.
He has faced internal party pressure to resign before, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently stated to reporters that he would not endorse Mr. Santos’ re-election bid.
The latest charges were brought forth only days after a senior election aide to Mr. Santos acknowledged that she had falsified portions of the campaign’s financial records.
Prosecutors have alleged that Nancy Marks reported a fabricated $500,000 (£410,000) loan that Mr. Santos purportedly contributed to the campaign.
The campaign was able to qualify for financial aid from the national Republican Party committee by achieving the necessary fundraising goals, thanks to the inaccurate reports.