George Santos avoided much bigger problem by pleading guilty

George Santos avoided much worse problems by pleading guilty to fraud charges, an attorney has said.

The former New York Republican representative pleaded guilty to two campaign fraud charges on Monday.

Nicole Brenecki, founding partner at Jodré Brenecki LLP in New York, told Newsweek that Santos' negative reputation is so strong that it would be almost impossible to find an impartial jury.

"Pleading guilty to the charges and considering whatever deal the DA has to offer is the most reasonable way to proceed at this point. The likelihood of an unbiased local jury in a case of such high publicity is slim to none," she said.

Santos made the surprising decision to plead guilty, having previously denounced the charges as a "witch hunt."

Brenecki said a guilty plea would help Santos get a reduced sentence.

"The sentence may also be more favorable if accomplished through a plea deal than following a guilty verdict. Admitting guilt as opposed to wasting taxpayers' money on a long jury trial would also be a smarter move if Santos still plans to resurface in the public area in the future," she said.

Outside court, Santos told reporters that he would seek to avoid prison when he is sentenced, even though the prosecutor said Santos would have to serve a minimum of two years.

"Given his grandiose attitude to date, there is a likelihood that he will still continue the legal battle to a certain extent despite the overwhelming evidence against him and the guilty verdict that has already been rendered in the court of public opinion," Brenecki said.

Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft during a pretrial conference in Central Islip in Long Island, New York. While prosecutors stated that he would have to serve at least two years, the judge said Santos could face six to eight years in prison at his sentencing on February 7, 2025.

He will also have to pay at least $373,749 in restitution.

Santos was originally charged with 23 counts, including theft of public funds and conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States.

The former lawmaker was first elected in 2022. He represented the 3rd Congressional District of New York, which includes parts of Queens and Long Island.

Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives in 2023 after a damning ethics report found that he had misused donor funds to go shopping and for the adult-only Only Fans website. He even impersonated donors and used their credit cards for personal expenses.

He also used the names of family and friends without their permission and wrongfully claimed they had contributed to his campaign. He did this so that he could reach the $250,000 fundraising benchmark needed to receive Republican Party logistical and financial support while running for Congress.

"During the 2022 election cycle, Santos was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's Third Congressional District. Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty in October 2023 to related conduct, was the treasurer for his campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress," according to a Department of Justice press release issued on Monday.

It said that he and Marks wanted his campaign qualified for a program administered by the Republican national party committee, "pursuant to which the national party committee would provide financial and logistical support to Santos's campaign. To qualify for the program, Santos had to demonstrate that his congressional campaign had raised at least $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter."