SANTOS’ CAMPAIGN AIDE PLEADS GUILTY TO WIRE FRAUD
New York GOP representative’s case closer to trial
A second person connected to the campaign of Rep. George Santos of New York has pleaded guilty to federal charges, an ominous sign as the representative’s case moves closer to trial.
Appearing before a federal judge in Central Islip, N.Y., on Tuesday, Samuel Miele pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with a fundraising scheme in which he impersonated a House staffer for his and Santos’ benefit.
But the most intriguing details to emerge from court were related to incidents that Miele was not charged with but admitted to as part of his guilty plea.
Between November 2020 and January 2023, Miele used his position with the Santos campaign to charge donors’ credit cards without their permission — and to apply contributions to things they had not been intended for.
Prosecutors have accused Santos, 35, of similar schemes. They said he repeatedly debited donors’ credit cards without their authorization and raised money for a fictitious super political action committee, distributing the money to his and other candidates’ campaigns as well as his own bank account.
Miele admitted in one instance to having solicited $470,000 from an older man that was used in ways the donor had not intended.
Judge Joanna Seybert, who is also overseeing Santos’ case, said Miele was being required to return the money to the man.
It is not clear if Santos was aware of or involved in Miele’s fraudulent use of donors’ credit cards or the $470,000 solicitation. No explanation was given for why Miele was not charged in the matter; his lawyer declined to say whether his plea included an agreement with federal prosecutors to testify against Santos.
In court Tuesday, Miele did not name Santos, nor did he implicate him in his actions. Nonetheless, his guilty plea, which comes just over a month after that of Santos’ campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, is an inauspicious sign for Santos.
Like Marks, Miele was a member of Santos’ inner circle, involved not only in his campaign but also his personal business ventures.
Prosecutors accused Miele, 27, of carrying out the fundraising scheme in the fall of 2021 to aid Santos’ ultimately successful election campaign for the House, charging him with four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Of those, he pleaded guilty to a single count, for which he could nonetheless serve more than two years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 30.
The indictment, filed this August, did not identify the staffer that Miele was said to have impersonated, though The New York Times and others have reported that it was Dan Meyer, who was then chief of staff to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Santos, R-N.Y., has not been charged in connection with Miele’s impersonation. Santos has said he was unaware of the ruse, and fired Miele shortly after learning of it from Republican leadership. Joseph Murray, a lawyer for Santos who attended
Tuesday’s hearing, declined to comment.
Santos faces a 23-count indictment that includes wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors have said Santos used multiple methods to steal tens of thousands of dollars from campaign donors.
They have charged him with falsifying campaign filings, including listing a $500,000 loan that had not been made when it was reported. They have accused him of collecting unemployment funds when he was employed. Santos has pleaded not guilty to all counts.