US politician Santos arrested on federal criminal charges

George Santos, the Republican US Representative whose term in Congress has been marred by scandals over a series of lies, was arrested in New York yesterday on federal criminal charges.

Mr Santos faces 13 charges including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said.

“Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself,” said US Attorney Breon Peace. Mr Santos was expected to appear in court yesterday.

He was elected to Congress last year, but it was revealed that much of his campaign was based on falsehoods.

Mr Santos claimed to have worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, although there is no evidence he worked at either organisation.

Claims that he holds degrees from New York University and Baruch College were also refuted.

The New York politician also lied about having Jewish heritage, as well as his mother dying in the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks.

“He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives,” Mr Peace said.

Many of Mr Santos’s colleagues in Congress have called for him to resign, including Republicans, although House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been reticent to weigh in on the matter.

Mr Santos faces a separate investigation from the House ethics committee, which unanimously voted in March to look into a series of allegations.