former new york state congressman George Santos He is expected to plead guilty to widespread fraud, according to US media reports.
Mr. Santos becomes the first member Congress will be expelled For more than 20 years, facing 23 federal felony charges Charged with wire fraud, money laundering and misuse of campaign funds.
The Republican pleaded not guilty last year.
A source familiar with the matter told BBC US news partner CBS News that Santos is expected to appear in court in Central Islip, New York, on Monday and change that plea.
It’s unclear what or how many charges he may plead guilty to.
If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Following the charges and a scathing ethics report, Mr. Santos was removed from Congress in December 2023.
The New York Republican became the sixth lawmaker in history to be expelled from the House and the first since 2002.
His short tenure was marked by controversy, alleged lies and accusations of fraud about his past.
He was accused of lying about his Wall Street career, his college degree and his Jewish heritage. He is also accused of defrauding a Pennsylvania Amish dog breeder out of thousands of dollars by falsely claiming his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
A House ethics panel issued a scathing report accusing him of misusing campaign funds for personal gain.
The committee said Mr. Santos spent campaign funds on Botox treatments, credit card debt, OnlyFans, a platform where users pay for content including pornography, and trips to the beachfront enclave of the Hamptons, New York.
Prosecutors and Mr. Santos’ legal team have been preparing for his trial, which is scheduled to begin in September. He was last in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing, CBS reported.
