Disgraced New York representative Republican, George Santos is facing 13 counts of federal charges. Charges including, money laundering, fraud and theft of public. This follows after months of public scrutiny over lies he has told the public coming to light. 

George Santos was arrested on Wednesday morning. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at a federal courthouse in New York. He was later released on a $500,000 bail but had to surrender his passport. 

The Attorney, Breon Peace said in a statement. “He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives.” He stole money from the citizens of New York who voted for him and and deceived them a number of times by lying bluntly to the public. 

To be specific, Santos is being charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, making materially false statements to the House of Representatives, and one count of theft of public funds. Santos stated outside of the court house he will not resign and still stay in office as a representative for New York. There is no official law that states that someone who is facing charges has to resign from office. It is highly unlikely that he will seek re-election in light of the charges that are being brought against and almost next to impossible that the people of New York will vote him in again in office.

Santos points a finger and accuses the US justice department for putting a “Witch Hunt” on him. He seems to think he has done absolutely nothing wrong because he states “I’m going to fight my battle. I’m going to deliver. I’m going to fight the witch hunt, I’m going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.” 

He has lied about many things while running for office and being a part of the government. He has lied about such serious things that will not only end his career but face up to 20 years in jail. Santos has also lied about menial, small things that were very unnecessary. For starters, he lied about where he attended high school and college, that he worked on wall street, founding an animal charity, which is just completely cruel, that he was jewish, his grandmother was a Holocaust Victim and that his mother was a victim to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. There is absolutely no evidence that she even worked in either of the twin towers.

Santos is a liar, a cheat and a manipulator who cheated hardworking New Yorkers out of their money and has lied to their faces. He has brung nothing but shame to the neighborhood he is a representative of and the state of New York.