New York ex-Rep. George Santos ‘not genuinely remorseful’ DOJ says ahead of fraud’s sentencing
Lying former Rep. George Santos is “not genuinely remorseful” ahead of his sentencing on federal crimes after he made unhinged social media comments about the Justice Department this month, prosecutors argued Thursday.
The disgraced ex-lawmaker is staring down more than seven years in prison after the feds said he lied to Congress about his wealth, unlawfully collected unemployment payments and used campaign coffers on lavish personal purchases including designer clothes, Botox injections and vacations.
Yet Santos appeared more willing to ding the DOJ before and even after the feds called out Santos for his social media rant.
Federal prosecutors pointed out the New York Republican called the federal government a “cabal of pedophiles” and claimed the feds “had a hard on” for him dating back to December 2022, when he wasn’t in office yet.
“No matter how hard the DOJ comes for me, they are mad because they will NEVER break my spirit,” Santos, 36, tweeted on April 4, per the DOJ filing.
Federal prosecutors said he also whined he was a victim of prosecutorial overreach in another post, despite tearfully pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last December.
“Put plainly, Santos is not genuinely remorseful, despite accepting responsibility as part of his allocution,” the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York wrote.
Santos remained defiant Thursday evening, assailing the DOJ as “lawless” and claiming the prosecutors were holdovers from former Attorney General Merrick Garland who served in the Biden administration.
“Lawless Merrick Garland holdovers are vicious and have 0 regards for the law or Court orders!” he tweeted, adding later, “The first amendment seems to bother some people in government.”
Prosecutors have called on Santos to serve more than seven years in federal lockup, while Santos’ defense team insisted on a two-year term – the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Santos, who was expelled from Congress, is set to be sentenced on April 25 on Long Island.
