Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos seeks to delay fraud conviction to produce more podcasts

NEW YORK (AP) — Disgraced former congressman Jorge Santos is asking a New York judge to delay sentencing on federal fraud charges until this summer so he can repay more than $500,000 by producing more of his recently launched podcast fine. “The pants are on fire.”

But prosecutors responded Tuesday by dismissing the New York Republican’s promise of financial aid as “highly speculative” and deriding the show’s title as “deaf and intransigent to the crimes he committed.” ”.

They also cast doubt on his claim to have liquid assets of just over $1,000 and argued that sentencing should proceed as scheduled on February 7.

Since being ousted from the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2023, Santos, 36, has earned more than $400,000 from appearances on the video-sharing site Cameo and another $400,000 from a new documentary, prosecutors said. He is just the sixth member of the House of Representatives to be expelled by his colleagues in the history of the Chamber of Commerce.

Prosecutors said he received other income in addition to a taxpayer-funded salary of about $174,000 during his 11 months on Capitol Hill.

“His letters did not provide any description of his current financial situation; they failed to provide any explanation for his dissipation of assets, including personal expenses, in the months following his guilty plea,” prosecutors wrote.

Santos’ attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Elected in 2022, Santos was a rising star in the Republican Party, upending a wealthy New York district that includes parts of Queens and Long Island.

But his life story was unraveled even before he took office, with his claims that he had worked at top Wall Street firms and had a college degree debunked amid questions about how he financed his campaign.

In August, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, admitting that he deceived voters, defrauded donors and stole the identities of nearly a dozen people, including members of his own family, to donate to his campaign .

At the time, Santos blamed ambition for clouding his judgment and said he was “filled with deep regret.” He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of 22 years in prison on the identity theft charge.

As part of a deal negotiated with prosecutors, Santos agreed to pay a fine of nearly $580,000, including nearly $375,000 in restitution and $205,000 in forfeiture.

But on Friday, his lawyers asked the judge to postpone sentencing until August, noting that he would need to pay the uncollected amount 30 days before trial.

They said the weekly podcast he announced shortly after pleading guilty represented a “promising revenue stream” but was not launched until December 15 due to “technical and logistical obstacles”.

“Mr. Santos now has a viable path to making meaningful progress in meeting his obligations, requiring only additional time for the quarterly compensation structure to generate sufficient funds,” his attorneys wrote.

Prosecutors countered, however, that Santos’ request did not provide details about the venture’s expected financial returns.

They said his compensation could include 50 percent of net profits, to be paid within 90 days of the end of each calendar quarter, according to probation department reports — an arrangement that “is highly unlikely to net Santos enough money within eight months.” fulfill the return and confiscation obligations before the month.

Prosecutors also warned that granting the extension would “create a perverse incentive structure” whereby defendants who exploit their “notoriety and criminal behavior” would be rewarded.

“In other words, allowing Santos to avoid a prison sentence specifically to monetize his notoriety would send a message to the public: crime has a price,” they wrote.