George Santos Pleads Not Guilty To 13 Charges, Claims ‘Witch-hunt’

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - Republican Representative George Santos pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges against him including stealing public funds, wire fraud, money laundering, and lying on federal disclosure forms.

George Santos has been charged by federal prosecutors with thirteen charges including; 7 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of money laundering, 2 counts of making false statements to the House of Representatives, and 1 count of theft of public funds.

Santos pleaded not guilty to all charges Wednesday afternoon at a hearing in the federal court located in Central Islip, New York, and continues to back the claim that he has not committed any criminal wrongdoing. He was released from federal custody on a $500,000 bond that was secured by three unknown individuals. Santos’s travel will be restricted to New York, Washington, and places in between the two states.

Santos’ background has been scrutinized by many since this past December after news outlets began raising questions about allegedly false information regarding his work history and biography while campaigning.

On Wednesday’s hearing, Santos’s lawyer revealed that he would be continuing his re-election bid.

Representative Santos could face up to 20 years in prison for the top charges if he is convicted, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.