# Representative George Santos: Indictment and Prosecution (Expelled from Congress on Dec 1, 2023) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 10, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850 "2023-05-10T14:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/41 "2023-05-10T17:17:09Z")
Most predictable fall from grace in the history of politics. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/42 "2023-05-10T17:25:43Z")
Someone doesn’t believe in Trump/Santos 2024! George can be the anti-Pete! ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/43 "2023-05-10T17:49:01Z")
From the NYT article linked above: "The charges marked a precipitous turn in the fortunes of a first-term congressman who went from a symbol of Republican resurgence to a scandal-plagued political punching bag. But it is unlikely to affect his immediate standing in Congress. Even as a growing number of rank-and-file Republicans are calling for Mr. Santos’s resignation, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has signaled that Mr. Santos will be allowed to continue to serve." I guess that McCarthy’s response is predictable, but still, boo hiss! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/44 "2023-05-10T17:51:29Z")
What appalls me is that McCarthy’s lack of action being based on, “I need the vote,” is somehow considered a reasonable or valid explanation for allowing this corrupt person to remain in Congress, as if it’s the most understandable thing in the world. That is truly disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/45 "2023-05-10T18:38:09Z")
More from NYT “Santos pleaded not guilty to the 13-count indictment. He was released on $500,000 bond secured by three individuals, whose identities are not public. He will be confined to New York, Washington, D.C., and places in between. He may travel to other places with advance approval.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/46 "2023-05-10T18:49:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Most predictable fall from grace in the history of politics. Wouldn’t he have to have been in grace first, to have fallen from it? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/47 "2023-05-10T19:01:25Z")
I don’t think he’s going to be a formidable presence in prison. Volleyball skills won’t keep the predators at bay. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/48 "2023-05-10T19:10:12Z")
Seems like this guy has been begging to be caught for years. It’s not like he’s a master criminal or anything, and it’s a really poor idea to run for office when this stuff can be so easily discovered. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/49 "2023-05-10T19:11:55Z")
But but but Donnie did it, with a terrible record! Poor George. Just doesn’t have the ability con people that The Great Con has. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/50 "2023-05-10T19:12:41Z")
he does handle himself well in pressers. explains how he is able to con people so easily, and until now, somewhat well. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/51 "2023-05-10T19:16:25Z")
Hey, he may be a sleazy little asshole, but he’s no Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/52 "2023-05-10T19:17:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Seems like this guy has been begging to be caught for years. Winning his election was his undoing. He ran in 2020, lost, and no one gave a shit. He went to the well again but fucked it all up by winning. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/53 "2023-05-10T19:27:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Hey, he may be a sleazy little asshole, but he’s no Trump. I get it though, free money is awesome and Trump’s idiocy made it look easy. He was doing it all in plain sight and no one was doing anything. For awhile. Brandon’s got his swamp waders on fellas, looks to be cleaning the drainage line! ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/54 "2023-05-10T19:32:53Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > He ran in 2020, lost, and no one gave a shit. He went to the well again but fucked it all up by winning. It’s the politics version of _The Producers_. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/55 "2023-05-10T19:38:16Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > Winning his election was his undoing. In this, he may be _exactly_ like Trump. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/56 "2023-05-10T19:54:06Z")
[Santos pleads not guilty](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3998073-george-santos-pleads-not-guilty-to-federal-charges/) > [@](#): > > The majority of the charges against Santos — five counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering — pertain to claims that Santos directed an unnamed individual to tell potential campaign donors that their contributions would go towards purchasing advertisements for his campaign, when they were actually used for personal expenses. Regarding the above, this will be unpopular, but: Those who make campaign contributions probably think it is important that their money be used in the campaign. It isn’t, and find this prosecution a waste of tax dollars. I would rather Santos steal donor funds than to hear a campaign ad on TV. As for the political impact, it is thanks to the New York Times, not this indictment, that Santos is on target to lose next year. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/57 "2023-05-10T19:59:02Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > As for the political impact, it is thanks to the New York Times, not this indictment, that Santos is on target to lose next year. Not all of the potential political impact is on Santos himself. Other New York Republicans are feeling pressure by association and a prosecution adds to that. There may be some political impacts in the House as well. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/58 "2023-05-10T20:33:34Z")
This is a good summary of the history that led to these charges. It’s pretty much all information that’s already out there, but it’s nice to have it in one place. I was tempted to set up the bulletin board with yarn connecting all the pieces in an attempt to make sense of it. > **[The Wild Backstory to George Santos’ Arrest](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/05/george-santos-charged-criminal-case-doj.html)** > > I spent weeks trying to solve the biggest mystery of his rise: the money. > The question still remains: If Santos were trying to mix politics and business to advance himself personally in a way that was at least _tricky_ from a legal standpoint, why would he have left so many “please investigate me” red flags in his campaign filings? > > To paraphrase Fischer, the campaign finance expert: At some point, you have to stop thinking about what a financial mastermind would do and start thinking about what _George Santos_ would do. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/59 "2023-05-10T20:33:43Z")
I just saw this this morning. You know, if he had just left it at lying about his educational history and maybe only the use of the funds to pay for clothing and bling he might have gotten away with it, but all the money laundering and such was a bit much. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/60 "2023-05-10T20:44:34Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Those who make campaign contributions probably think it is important that their money be used in the campaign. It isn’t, and find this prosecution a waste of tax dollars. Why would they be wrong in thinking that? A waste of tax dollars. That’s rich. The people in his district were lied to, and they voted for what turned out to be a lie. They deserve _honest_ representation, and if their representative is a lying law breaker a wonderful way to hold him responsible would be to use tax dollars to prosecute him. And while we’re at it, lets use tax dollars to feed him and keep him warm enough while he’s in prison. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850.md?page=4)