When he burst onto the political scene in 2022 with a shocking victory in a district long held by Democrats, newly minted House of Representative member George Santos didn't fit the traditional mold for Republican politicians. Openly gay and claiming to be a "proud American Jew," his education and employment at Goldman Sachs hinted he might add a new dimension to the conservative party.
Alas, Santos turned out to be more of an Icarus than an icon. With his background proving mostly fictitious and numerous campaign and other financial misdeeds exposed, Santos was booted from Congress in 2023. His rapid descent continued with a guilty plea in 2024 and a federal judge giving him a sentence of 87 months for wire and identity fraud on April 25, 2025.
Half a Truth Is Often a Great Lie
Seeming to come out of nowhere, Santos shocked the political world in 2022 by defeating his Democrat rival for a 3rd District House seat based in Long Island. Santos' resume included a degree from Baruch College and a work history that included Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
Cracks in Santos' stories began appearing at once, and in little over a month's time media outlets had begun openly questioning his alleged qualifications. Santos was forced to admit that he'd made up his college and work history. He dodged the fabrication about religion by stated he'd never said he was Jewish, but rather "Jew-ish."
Although Santos was sworn into Congress in 2023, his situation didn't improve as more of his lies were exposed. Claims that his grandmother was a Holocaust survivor and that he was part of a charity called Friend of Pets United were shown to be further falsehoods. Within a month of being sworn in Santos stepped down from his Congressional committees, but he refused to resign from the House.
By March, the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Santos. In May he was indicted on federal charges for stealing money from his campaign for personal use and collecting fraudulent unemployment benefits. Charges for stealing the identification of his donors and using their credit cards followed in October. While Santos claimed innocence and continued to ignore calls to resign, the evidence against him looked damning.
The Calls Are Coming From Inside the House!
Removing a sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives is not a common occurrence. Since they are not considered officers in the government, they're not impeachable. Instead, they can be ousted by a two-thirds majority vote. Aside from three members getting booted in 1861 for supporting the Confederate rebellion, only two other House reps had been removed, both for accepting bribes.
Santos survived the first two attempts to expel him from the Republican-majority chamber, but a scathing report from the House Ethic Committee that pulled no punches was the beginning of the end. On December 1, 2023, a 311-114 vote made Santos the sixth member expelled from Congress by his peers.
Despite his pending legal woes, Santos briefly attempted to run as an independent candidate in 2024. He dropped his campaign after a month, claiming he hadn't raised any money.
The First and Worst of All Frauds Is To Cheat One's Self
Facing multiple charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft at his court date in September 2024, Santos accepted the likely outcome and pleaded guilty in August. His brazen attitude continued up to his sentencing as he used social media to attempt to paint himself as a scapegoat and a victim of a politically-motivated Justice Department.
His contriteness in the courtroom on April 25, 2025, didn't gain much traction with U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, who made note of his crocodile tears and propensity to blame others instead of taking responsibility for his actions. Agreeing with the prosecutors' request, she sentenced Santos to 87 months for his crimes.
After his sentencing, Santos begged President Donald Trump for a pardon. Meanwhile, he continues generating revenue through Cameos while bemoaning the fate that will soon land him behind bars.
Related Resources
- Fraud vs. Lying: What's the Legal Difference? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Does Congress Have To Keep George Santos? (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- U.S. Campaign Finance Laws (FindLaw's How U.S. Elections Work)
