POLITICS Former Rep. George Santos in plea deal t
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Former Rep. George Santos in plea deal talks with prosecutors, court filing says
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Federal prosecutors are “engaged in plea negotiations” with former Rep. George Santos to resolve his criminal fraud case in New York, a court filing said.
The Republican was ousted from Congress at the beginning of December.
He is charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, identity theft, and making false statements.
Representative George Santos, a Republican from New York, during a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.
Representative George Santos, a Republican from New York, during a news conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.
Annabelle Gordon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Federal prosecutors on Monday said in a court filing that they are “engaged in plea negotiations” with former Rep. George Santos of New York to potentially resolve his pending criminal fraud case.
The disclosure came in a letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn to Judge Joanna Seybert, proposing a joint agenda with Santos’ lawyer for a previously scheduled status conference Tuesday in Long Island federal court.
“The parties are presently engaged in plea negotiations with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial,” prosecutors wrote.
“The parties wish to continue those negotiations over the next thirty days.”
A lawyer for Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter, which was the first time that prosecutors had publicly said there were plea negotiations in the case.
Santos, 35, in an interview with CBS New York on Sunday said, “Look, in the essence of everything going on, a plea is not off the table, obviously, at this point.”
“I’m gonna negotiate the best I can,” he said.