Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has denied reports his lawyers are weighing up a potential plea deal with federal prosecutors regarding his fraud case after reports emerged that the Department of Justice asked to delay a hearing set for Sept. 7, citing “possible paths forward” in the matter.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, also on Tuesday, Mr. Santos wrote: “My energy is unbreakable because my will is strong. Many have tried to break me and failed, It won’t be the political establishment elites and corrupt bias media that will succeed.”
The lawmaker later penned, “word of the day: speculation.”
He did not reference the reports of a potential plea deal in either of his posts.
‘Possible Paths Forward in This Matter’
“Since the last status conference in this matter on June 30, 2023, the defendant has continued to review the voluminous discoverable material previously produced by the government and requires additional time to continue reviewing that material,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace wrote in a letter (pdf) to Judge Joanna Seybert, who is presiding over the case.
“In addition, the government anticipates making another substantial production of discoverable material pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 this week. Defense counsel has indicated that he will need additional time to review that material as well. Further, the parties have continued to discuss possible paths forward in this matter. The parties wish to have additional time to continue those discussions,” Mr. Peace said.
The attorney said both parties in the case were jointly making the request to delay the hearing.
“The parties respectfully submit that the ends of justice served by such an excludable delay outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial,” he added.
Former Campaign Manager Indicted
According to the DOJ, Mr. Santos illegally transferred a $25,000 campaign donation from one donor and a $24,000 donation from another to that LLC’s bank account, which he controlled, laundering the money and spending much of it purchasing personal items including clothing, and paying off debts.Additionally, Mr. Santos is charged with unlawfully applying for unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act. during the pandemic and lying to the House of Representatives in financial statements.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
In August, a former fundraiser for the campaign of Mr. Santos was also indicted for impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide to a member of the House, reportedly employed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), while gathering donations for the campaign.
Samuel Miele was charged with four counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, prosecutors in Mr. Miele’s case also asked the court to delay the hearing “to accommodate the defendant’s ongoing discovery review and facilitate plea negotiations.”
Lawyers added in court documents that “negotiations concerning a potential resolution of this case without the need for a trial are active and ongoing.”
