Santos’ father, Gercino dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Preven, were his $500,000 spouses, according to documents released Thursday, June 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Co-signer on dollar bail.
Santos’ lawyers argued that releasing the identities of his relatives could subject them to harassment by news organizations, but the judge rejected the request.
The 34-year-old New Republican congressman, whose Third District represents Nassau County and parts of Queens, was released after pleading not guilty on May 10 to all 13 federal charges against him.
He was also ordered to surrender his passport.
Santos is accused of:
- Seven counts of wire fraud
- Three counts of money laundering
- theft of public funds
- Two counts of making false statements on federal disclosure forms
According to the unsealed indictment, Santos participated in three separate fraud schemes, “relying on repeated dishonesty and deceit to gain access to and enrich himself in the halls of Congress.”
That included creating a sham limited liability company to raise campaign contributions during the fall 2022 run for Congress, according to prosecutors.
At least two donors have each donated $25,000 to the company, money they believe will go to help get Santos elected, including buying television ads.
Shortly after receiving the funds, Santos allegedly transferred a total of $50,000 into his personal bank account and used it to purchase designer clothing and pay off debts, among other things.
Prosecutors also accused Santos of illegally receiving more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, even though he earned a $120,000 salary as a regional director of an investment firm in Florida.
He reportedly received assistance from June 2020 to April 2021, during which time, the indictment reads, he “falsely determined on a weekly basis that he was eligible for unemployment benefits when in fact he did not.” qualifications”.
Finally, federal prosecutors accused Santos of lying to Congress about his finances during his two campaigns in 2020 and 2022.
Santos allegedly filed financial disclosure statements with the House of Representatives before each election, inflating his income and assets.
He is also accused of ignoring the fact that in 2021, he received about $28,000 from an investment firm and received more than $28,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in New York.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after his trial, Santos took a page from former President Donald Trump and slammed the criminal case as a “witch hunt” and said he had “enormous evidence” to prove his innocence.
“I have the right to fight to prove my innocence because the government has the right to try to convict me,” he said.
Asked if he would resign his congressional seat, Santos said no and vowed again to seek re-election in 2024.
He also suggested that his legal troubles could lead to more lucrative deals in the future, telling reporters, “It’s an experience for a book or something like that.”
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