Challenges Faced by George Santos: Obstacles and Turning Points

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped George Santos's life and career.

George Santos is a former American politician and convicted felon who served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 3rd congressional district in 2023 before being expelled from Congress. He initially ran unsuccessfully in 2020, but won the seat in 2022, defeating Democrat Robert Zimmerman. Santos made history as the first openly LGBTQ Republican elected to Congress. However, his tenure was short-lived and marked by controversy, leading to his expulsion.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2008: Check Fraud in Brazil

In 2008, after obtaining his high school equivalency diploma, George Santos forged checks, stolen from a man his mother was caring for, to buy R$1,313 (about US$700) worth of clothing in Brazil. He gave his name as Délio and presented identification bearing his photo but the check owner's name.

2009: Revocation of Permanent Resident Status

In 2009, Rocco Oppedisano's permanent resident status was revoked after guns and drugs were seized from his properties, making his campaign contributions illegal.

2010: Charged with Check Fraud in Brazil

In 2010, George Santos confessed to police and was charged with check fraud in Brazil. Santos had previously admitted to the theft in a message to the store clerk.

December 2013: Santos moves into apartment with roommate

In December 2013, Yasser Rabello, a onetime roommate, described moving into the first apartment after befriending Santos; it had only two bedrooms and one bathroom, and Santos shared it with his mother, sister, then later his boyfriend and often another roommate.

2013: Check Fraud Case Archived

In 2013, George Santos's check fraud case in Brazil was archived by a Brazilian court because authorities were unable to locate Santos.

2013: Brazilian charges against Santos

In 2013, Santos faced Brazilian charges, which his boyfriend at the time discovered in 2015.

2014: Eviction and financial instability

In the summer of 2014, George Santos was locked out of his apartment and told the housing court that he needed access to feed pet fish, which his roommate could not recall ever existing. Also in 2014, eviction notices were sent monthly, new roommates rapidly cycled through the apartment, and Santos' personal finances fluctuated wildly.

October 2015: Court orders Santos to repay loan

In October 2015, a small claims court judge ordered George Santos to pay Peter Hamilton $5,000 plus interest to repay a loan Hamilton made to Santos in September 2014 for moving expenses.

2015: Relationship with boyfriend sours

In early 2015, George Santos's relationship with his boyfriend soured when his boyfriend stopped believing his promises. After Santos's boyfriend came to believe Santos had taken his cell phone to pawn it, he discovered the 2013 Brazilian charges against Santos and moved out.

January 2016: Santos claims mugging, police have no record

In mid-January 2016, George Santos told Queens Housing Court that he was mugged on his way to make a payment, but police were unable to take a report at the time, telling him to return later. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has no record of the incident.

March 2017: Santos holds fundraiser, sends check

In March 2017, George Santos held a fundraiser for a pet rescue operator in the Bronx and then sent her a check for $400, leading her to stop working with him due to overpromising or skimming.

November 2017: Santos charged with theft by deception in Pennsylvania

In November 2017, George Santos was charged with theft by deception in York County, Pennsylvania, after bad checks were written to an Amish dog breeder from his account.

2017: FOPU fundraiser for farm repair

In 2017, Friends of Pets United (FOPU) held a fundraiser event charging $50 per attendee to raise funds to repair a veterinary technician's farm in New Jersey for animal rescue. The event raised $2,165, with George Santos controlling the money.

2017: Santos's name surfaces in credit card skimming scheme

In 2017, George Santos's name came up in an international credit card skimming scheme perpetrated by Brazilians in Seattle. A search of a car found an empty FedEx box with his address on it.

2017: Civil judgment entered against Santos in eviction case

In 2017, a Queens court entered a civil judgment of $12,208 against George Santos in his third known eviction case. In housing court, he said he would seek emergency rental assistance.

2020: Campaign Spending at Il Bacco

During his 2020 congressional run, George Santos reported having spent over $25,000 at Il Bacco.

2020: Fictitious Contributions During Santos' 2020 Campaign

During the 2020 campaign, Santos received contributions from fictitious or nonexistent names and addresses through WinRed, an online processor of small-donor contributions for Republicans. Many real people denied having donated the amount claimed.

2020: Discrepancies in Donations to State Candidates

During the 2020–22 election cycle, Santos's campaign and PACs made over 20 donations to Republican candidates for state office, but there are no corresponding reports on Santos's FEC filings.

2020: Start of Santos's alleged unemployment benefits fraud

From mid-2020 to April 2021, George Santos allegedly obtained a total of $24,000 in unemployment benefits while drawing an annual salary of $120,000.

2020: Refused to Accept 2020 Defeat

George Santos refused to accept his 2020 defeat and falsely claimed that the vote totals had been manipulated. He insisted that half the Democratic ballots should have been discarded.

2020: First Congressional Run

In 2020, George Santos ran as a Republican for New York's 3rd congressional district, but was defeated by Tom Suozzi.

2020: Financial Disclosure Discrepancies

In 2020, George Santos reported a net worth of $5,000 and $50,000 from Harbor City Capital, but later reports exposed over $90,000 in income and $80,000 in mostly fictitious loans to his campaign.

2020: Discrepancies in Campaign Finance Reports

In 2020, George Santos's campaign finance reports showed discrepancies in state and federal reports, including unreported donations to Trump's presidential campaign and nonexistent Republican organizations.

2020: Extradition warrant received in New York

In 2020, Tiffany Bogosian assisted in getting the charges dropped after Santos told her that he had received an extradition warrant from Pennsylvania at his New York address in 2020.

2020: Establishment of Rise NY PAC

In late 2020, after George Santos had lost the election to Suozzi, Marks and Tiffany Santos established a PAC called Rise NY, which later raised money from many Santos donors who had exceeded the $2,900 limit for direct campaign contributions.

2020: Santos' 2020 Campaign Receives Unauthorized Charges via WinRed

TPM reported that a contributor to Santos's 2020 campaign had discovered unauthorized charges totaling nearly $15,000 on their credit card, made through WinRed during 2021 and 2022.

April 2021: End of Santos's alleged unemployment benefits fraud

From mid-2020 to April 2021, George Santos allegedly obtained a total of $24,000 in unemployment benefits while drawing an annual salary of $120,000.

July 2021: Loan to GADS PAC

In July 2021, George Santos loaned GADS PAC $25,000, which the PAC then donated to Lee Zeldin's campaign the next day.

December 2021: Santos Confronted About Failure to Disclose Interest in Red Strategies

In December 2021, the House Ethics Committee reported that a witness identified as working for the Forte campaign confronted George Santos about his failure to disclose his interest in Red Strategies. The witness noted that Santos's name was on the incorporation papers filed in May, but Santos responded that he had merely bought into the company in August.

2021: Santos Promised Contributions to Rise Were Being Spent to Build the Republican Party

During 2021, Intrater told Mother Jones that Santos had told him repeatedly that contributions to Rise were being spent to build the Republican Party in New York.

2021: FEC Letters on Disclosure Problems

During 2021, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) wrote over 20 letters to George Santos's campaign about problems with its disclosure reports.

2021: Santos Recommends Red Strategies USA to Forte Campaign Without Disclosing Interest

In 2021, Demauro, Tina Forte's campaign manager, said that George Santos recommended that they hire the similarly-named Red Strategies USA as a consultant in 2021 without disclosing that he had an interest in the firm. The agreement between the campaign and Red Strategies called for the firm to keep 80 percent of any funds it raised, an amount Demauro believes the campaign was trying to obfuscate with its initially inflated statements of WinRed credit card fees.

2021: Lavish Spending on Fundraisers

In 2021, George Santos's campaign spent more than $5,000 on flights and hotel stays for Republican fundraisers, with expenses reaching $90,000 by the end of the year.

2021: Unauthorized Charges via WinRed

In 2021, TPM reported that a contributor to Santos's 2020 campaign had discovered unauthorized charges totaling nearly $15,000 on their credit card, made through WinRed during 2021 and 2022. WinRed, accused of enrolling donors in unauthorized recurring contributions, initially failed to find a record of these transactions but eventually refunded $2,000. The full refund was later provided by American Express.

2021: Unauthorized Contributions to Tina Forte's Campaign

In 2021, a donor's credit card was used for unauthorized contributions to Tina Forte's campaign, totaling $2,900 each, which they had never authorized. Another donor to Forte found a $5,800 charge on their card, far exceeding their intended donation. After complaints, refunds were issued.

2021: Marks Admits to Making Up Contributions to Campaign

In 2021, federal prosecutors stated that Marks had admitted to creating contributions from family members of Santos and herself to make it appear that the campaign had raised over $250,000 from third parties in the third quarter of that year. This allowed the campaign to qualify for assistance from the Republican National Committee (RNC) and deter other candidates. Shortly after Marks's guilty plea, Santos was indicted on charges related to the scheme.

2021: Expense Adjustments

In early 2022, amended reports were filed with changes made to some of the expenses he had reported at the end of 2021. A $60 meal was reported as $199.99.

2021: Funds Raised for Voter Registration Diverted to LGBTQ News Platform

In late 2021, over $55,000 Santos raised with the promise of registering voters was instead diverted to Outspoken Middle East, an LGBTQ news platform aimed at that region of the world.

2021: Rise NY Pays Santos' Rent

Newsday reported later that, for two months in 2021, Rise made Santos's $2,600 rent payments, and it later paid $1,800 for three tickets for Santos and two guests to attend a gala sponsored by the Liberty Education Forum, a group the PAC gave over $50,000. It also reported $6,500 in payments to Santos.

2021: RedStone Receives Payments from Tina Forte's Campaign

Over 2021, RedStone received $110,000 in 76 payments from Tina Forte's campaign, whose treasurer was the same former Harbor City coworker of Santos's and a co-owner of RedStone, along with Marks and the Devolder Organization. Forte's campaign's FEC reports have some issues as well, such as many unnamed donors and $14,000 in reimbursements to the candidate for unnamed personal expenses, along with the allegations from donors of unauthorized credit charges via WinRed.

2021: Missing Loan Records

The House Ethics Committee found that neither the 2021 loan to GADS PAC nor one for $2,000 were recorded in bank records.

February 2022: Campaign Spending on Personal Items

In February 2022, George Santos spent $1,700 at two Atlantic City casinos, $1,500 at a pet store, and smaller amounts on JetBlue and Adventureland using campaign funds.

April 2022: Rise NY PAC Pays RedStone

In April 2022, the Rise NY PAC, which was established in late 2020 by Marks and Tiffany Santos after Santos lost the election to Suozzi, paid RedStone $6,000.

April 2022: Repayment of Loan

Starting in April 2022, GADS PAC repaid George Santos in four installments over two months, effectively arranging for his campaign contributors to repay the loan.

September 2022: Questions Raised About Santos's Background

In September 2022, The North Shore Leader questioned Santos's employment, financial disclosures, and claims of wealth. However, other media outlets did not report on these issues until after the election.

December 2022: Santos says he forgot about unpaid rent

As of December 2022 George Santos had yet to pay the rent he owed from 2017, saying he "completely forgot about it".

December 2022: Hamilton says judgment unpaid

In December 2022, Peter Hamilton told The Times that the judgment from October 2015 against George Santos had not been paid.

December 2022: FEC Letter to Fundraising Treasurer

In December 2022, the FEC wrote to Nancy Marks, then Santos's fundraising treasurer, about problems with disclosure reports and potential violations.

December 19, 2022: NY Times Reports on Santos's Fabricated Biography

On December 19, 2022, after Santos had been elected to Congress but before he had taken office, The New York Times reported that he had lied about many aspects of his biography. His lawyer denied the allegations.

December 21, 2022: Reports Question Santos's Claims of Jewish Heritage

On December 21, 2022, following Santos's November 2022 election to Congress, The Forward and Jewish Insider reported that Santos's claims about his family's alleged Jewish heritage were false. His maternal grandparents were born in Brazil, not in Ukraine or Belgium.

December 27, 2022: Republican Jewish Coalition Condemns Santos

On December 27, 2022, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) asserted that Santos would no longer be welcome at RJC events because he had "'deceived' the organization and 'misrepresented' his Jewish heritage".

2022: Reported Net Worth Increase

By 2022, George Santos claimed a net worth of $2.5 to $11 million but reported no U.S. property, despite earlier claims. A $600,000 loan to his campaign was missing, but bank records showed $715,000 in loans from personal savings and Devolder accounts.

2022: Campaign Reports No Fundraising

By April 2024, George Santos’s 2022 campaign reported no fundraising or spending, but its debt had increased to nearly $800,000, with $630,000 in loans claimed to be from Santos personally.

2022: RedStone Paid Santos $200,000

During 2022 RedStone paid Santos at least $200,000; an October payment of $50,000 was used by Santos over the next month to spend over $4,000 at Hermés, pay for some OnlyFans subscriptions and pay his rent and credit card debts.

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2022: Ethics Committee Finds Unreported Transfers to and from Campaign Bank Account

During 2022, the House Ethics Committee, in reviewing bank records for Rise, RedStone and Santos's businesses, found "numerous unreported transfers to and from the campaign bank account". Some went to other accounts under Marks's control, $10,000 to the Devolder Organization, and $50,000 went between Rise and the campaign, in amounts exceeding $20,000 at one point.

2022: Campaign Spending at Il Bacco

During his 2022 congressional run, George Santos reported having spent over $25,000 at Il Bacco and his 2022 campaign reports owing Il Bacco nearly $19,000 for its election night victory party.

2022: Unitemized Expenditures

George Santos's early 2022 amended report showed $250,000 in $199.99 transactions. By the end of the campaign, unitemized expenditures exceeded $365,000.

2022: Unauthorized Charges via WinRed

In 2022, TPM reported that a contributor to Santos's 2020 campaign had discovered unauthorized charges totaling nearly $15,000 on their credit card, made through WinRed during 2021 and 2022. WinRed, accused of enrolling donors in unauthorized recurring contributions, initially failed to find a record of these transactions but eventually refunded $2,000. The full refund was later provided by American Express.

2022: Doubts emerge about FOPU's existence and activities

In 2022, The Times found little evidence of Friends of Pets United's (FOPU) existence other than a closed Facebook account. Former volunteers and associates described it as disorganized and said that far fewer animals were saved.

2022: Amended Campaign Reports

In early 2022, George Santos's campaign filed amended reports with changes made to some of the expenses he had reported at the end of 2021.

2022: NY Republicans Call for Santos's Resignation

On January 11, 2023, only eight days after the start of his tenure, four Republican New York congressmen who had also been elected in 2022—Anthony D'Esposito, Nick LaLota, Nick Langworthy, and Brandon Williams—called for Santos to resign. Joseph Cairo, the chair of the Nassau County Republican Party, also called for Santos to resign, saying that he had "disgraced the House of Representatives, and we do not consider him one of our congresspeople".

January 2023: Sworn into the House of Representatives

In January 2023, George Santos was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives, amidst increasing media scrutiny and demands for his resignation due to fabricated biography revelations.

January 2023: Rio de Janeiro prosecutors revive fraud charges

In January 2023, Rio de Janeiro prosecutors announced they would revive the fraud charges against George Santos, because they knew where he was located.

January 2023: Ethics Complaint Filed with the House Ethics Committee

In January 2023, Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman, House Democrats from New York, filed an ethics complaint with the House Ethics Committee over George Santos's financial disclosure reports.

January 2023: Campaign Treasurer Denies Involvement

In January 2023, Thomas Datwyler, who was listed as the campaign's treasurer in the January 2023 reports, denied any involvement and stated that his name was forged. The FEC requested clarification from the campaign.

January 2023: Accusations of stealing GoFundMe funds

In January 2023, retired U.S. Navy veteran Richard Osthoff and retired police officer Michael Boll accused George Santos of having stolen funds that were donated to a GoFundMe fundraiser.

January 2023: Complaints Filed Against Santos with the FEC and DOJ

In January 2023, the CLC filed a complaint with the FEC alleging that George Santos misused campaign funds for personal expenses, concealed the source of $700,000 given to his campaign, and falsified expenditures. Additionally, End Citizens United (ECU) filed separate complaints with the FEC, DOJ, and Office of Congressional Ethics. Accountable.US filed an additional FEC complaint alleging over $100,000 in excessive contributions.

January 2023: Fictitious Contributions to 2020 Campaign Discovered

In late January 2023, Mother Jones found that many contributions to George Santos's 2020 campaign were from fictitious or nonexistent names and addresses, all given through WinRed, an online processor. $30,000 of the $338,000 Santos reported raising from individual contributors were from real people who denied having donated the amount claimed.

January 2023: McCarthy Responds to Questions About Santos's Résumé and Miele's Actions

In mid-January 2023, McCarthy said though he had "some questions about it", he had "no idea" about the falsity of Santos's résumé when he ran, nor that Miele had posed as McCarthy's chief of staff, Dan Meyer. Some contributors to the Santos campaign said they were motivated to give to him because of his supposed Wall Street experience or his claim to be Jewish, both later found to be fictitious, and felt cheated in the wake of those disclosures.

January 24, 2023: Deadline to Correct Violations

On January 24, 2023, George Santos's campaign had until this date to correct violations noted by the FEC.

February 2023: Sexual harassment complaint filed against Santos

In February 2023, Derek Myers filed a sexual harassment complaint against George Santos with the House Ethics Committee, alleging inappropriate touching and violations of House rules.

February 2023: Santos Solicited Contributions to Rise Despite No Official Connection

In February 2023, Mother Jones reported that despite no official connection to Rise, George Santos regularly solicited contributions to it and in some cases personally delivered checks from it, including two for $62,500 each to the Nassau County and Town of Hempstead Republican committees.

February 2023: Report of other Amish dog breeders allegedly unpaid

In February 2023, The Washington Post reported that three other Amish dog breeders allegedly were never paid by George Santos but never filed police reports.

March 2023: Yacht Sale Controversy

In March 2023, George Santos reportedly brokered a $19 million yacht sale between two major campaign contributors, raising concerns about potential campaign finance violations.

March 2023: Prosecutors announce plea bargain

In March 2023, prosecutors announced a plea bargain with George Santos regarding the fraud charges.

April 2023: Fundraising Committee Dispute

In April 2023, Representative Beth Van Duyne reported that her campaign never received its share of a joint fundraising committee (JFC) created with Santos in July 2022.

April 2023: Santos Announces Re-election Bid, Faces Opposition

In April 2023, Santos's campaign announced that he would seek re-election in 2024. However, the state's Conservative and Republican Party chairs declared they would not support him.

May 2023: Ethics Committee Expands Investigation

In June, the committee announced that it was expanding its investigation to cover the unemployment fraud alleged in the May 2023 federal indictment of Santos. It announced that it had sought the voluntary cooperation of about 40 witnesses and subpoenaed 30 others.

May 2023: Santos settles bad check charges

In May 2023, George Santos formally settled the bad check charges by agreeing to pay 24,000 Brazilian reais (almost US$5,000), with most compensating the defrauded salesman and the remainder donated to charity.

May 2023: Santos indicted on 13 criminal charges

In May 2023, a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York indicted George Santos on 13 criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds.

May 2023: Democrats Introduce Resolution to Expel Santos

In May 2023, after Santos was indicted on federal charges, Robert Garcia and other House Democrats introduced a resolution to expel Santos from the House, requiring a two-thirds vote. The House approved a motion to send the resolution to the Ethics Committee.

June 2023: Prosecutors provide materials to Santos's lawyers

In June 2023, prosecutors turned over 80,000 pages of material to George Santos's lawyers.

July 2023: Campaign Fundraising and Refunds

In July 2023, George Santos's campaign reported raising $133,000 but refunded $85,000 to him. Many donors were linked to Chinese billionaire Miles Guo.

July 2023: Santos's Office Lags in Constituent Services

In July 2023, Roll Call reported that Santos's office was behind those of members from neighboring districts in handling constituent service requests.

July 2023: Suspicions of Inflated WinRed Fees by Red Strategies USA

In July 2023, Tina Forte's campaign manager suspected Red Strategies USA, partly owned by George Santos, of inflating WinRed's fees in reports. $35,000 in "credit card fees" was reported when WinRed typically charges only 4%, which suggested an excessive amount given the campaign's fundraising.

August 2023: Santos says he would not consider plea deal

In August 2023, George Santos said he would not consider a plea deal at the time.

September 2023: Late Financial Disclosures

In September 2023, George Santos filed his personal financial disclosures 20 months late, raising further questions about his financial transparency.

October 5, 2023: Marks Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Violations

On October 5, 2023, Marks pleaded guilty in a federal court in Long Island to numerous campaign finance violations. Her plea agreement recommended she serve between 42 months to four years in federal prison. Santos was indicted five days later on charges of wire fraud related to the diversion of funds to RedStone under the pretense that it was to buy television advertising when in fact none of it was, or could have been.

October 2023: Expulsion Vote Fails, Santos Initially Plans to Run Again

Following the failure of an October 2023 vote to expel him from the House, Santos stated he would run again in 2024, even if expelled before the election.

October 2023: Indictment for Fraud and Identity Theft

In October 2023, George Santos's indictment suggested that at least $11,000 in spending on luxury items was money obtained through credit card fraud and identity theft.

October 2023: Superseding Indictment Accuses Santos of Unauthorized Use of Donor Credit Cards

In October 2023, the superseding indictment accused George Santos of a scheme involving the unauthorized use of donor credit cards, leading to charges of aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud.

November 2023: Santos Reverses Course, Will Not Seek Re-election

In November 2023, after the House Ethics Committee's report revealed further fraud allegations against Santos, he reversed his decision and announced he would not seek re-election.

December 1, 2023: House of Representatives Votes to Expel Santos

On December 1, 2023, following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee and a federal indictment, the House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos.

2023: Speculation on Campaign Contribution Limits

In 2023, Campaign finance lawyer Brett Kappel speculated that the failure to share the money might indicate that Santos's campaign was using the JFC to evade campaign contribution limits.

2023: Trelha claims Santos urged him to commit crime

In 2023, Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha made a sworn declaration to the FBI that he had committed the credit card skimming crime at the urging of George Santos, who taught him how to set up the skimmer and camera.

2023: Lavish Spending after Expulsion

In the last quarter of 2023, even after being expelled from the House, George Santos's FEC filing reports a $1,300 expense at the Capitol Hill Club on December 4.

2023: House Democrats Announce Censure Resolution

Later in 2023, House Democrats announced they would introduce a resolution to censure Santos, requiring only a simple majority to pass. Five New York Republicans, who had already called for Santos's resignation, said they would vote for censure.

February 2024: Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Walt Disney Company

In February 2024, George Santos filed a lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Walt Disney Company for $750,000, claiming Kimmel intended to "ridicule" him after Kimmel aired videos paid for by Kimmel on his show.

April 2024: Campaign Debt Increase

By April 2024, Santos’s 2022 campaign reported no fundraising or spending, but its debt had increased to nearly $800,000, with $630,000 in loans claimed to be from Santos personally.

May 2024: Santos moves to dismiss charges

In May 2024, George Santos moved to have some of the charges dismissed, relying on the Supreme Court ruling in the Dubin case.

August 2024: Santos Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and Wire Fraud

In August 2024, George Santos pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud.

August 19, 2024: Santos Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Identity Theft

On August 19, 2024, George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal, admitting to committing other crimes mentioned in the indictment. He accepted full responsibility, citing clouded judgment and unethical decisions.

August 19, 2024: Lawsuit Against Kimmel Dismissed

On August 19, 2024, a judge dismissed George Santos's lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and the Walt Disney Company, stating that Kimmel's actions constituted protected "political commentary and criticism" under the fair use doctrine.

2024: Santos says he is still running for reelection

After being granted pretrial release on a $500,000 bond George Santos told reporters that this was a "witch hunt" and that he was still running for reelection in 2024.

2024: Santos Announces Challenge to LaLota

During the 2024 State of the Union Address in March, Santos announced he would run for the House in New York's 1st congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Nick LaLota. LaLota responded by stating he would beat Santos in a primary if necessary.

February 7, 2025: Initial Sentencing Date Set

On February 7, 2025, George Santos was initially scheduled for sentencing. The federal sentencing guidelines suggested a 6-8 year sentence for the charges, with a potential maximum of 22 years. Santos would also be required to pay restitution and forfeit an additional amount, potentially through seizure of property.

March 2025: Miele Sentenced to Prison

In March 2025, Sam Miele, George Santos's consultant, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his involvement in the unauthorized use of donor credit cards and lying about campaign expenditures, including defrauding one donor of $470,000.

April 2025: Sentencing Memoranda Filed

In April 2025, both the government and George Santos's lawyers submitted sentencing memoranda to the court. Prosecutors requested a sentence of over seven years, citing the extent of Santos's deception. The defense asked for the minimum sentence of two years, attributing his actions to political campaign desperation.