Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison — more than 7 years — after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Why it matters: It’s the climax of a years-long saga in which Santos dominated national headlines and was ultimately expelled from Congress for his serial dishonesty.
- The 87-month sentence was the maximum possible, and what prosecutors in the case were seeking. Santos’ attorneys requested a two-year sentence.
- The former congressman, a staunch defender of President Trump, has insisted he will not ask the president to pardon him as Trump has done with other political allies.
- Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Axios on whether he is interested in receiving clemency.
What they’re saying: “I think it’s appropriate. I think the judge did a terrific job,” said Roberta Reardon, the commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor, who delivered a victim impact statement about Santos’ unemployment insurance fraud.
- Jody Kass Finkel, the head of Concerned Citizens of NY-03, said her reaction to the sentence was: “Cry me a river.”
- In addition to the 87 months in prison, Santos will also face two years of supervised release.
Zoom out: Santos pleaded guilty last year to falsifying campaign finance records in order to obtain support from the National Republican Congressional Committee for his successful 2022 House campaign.
- As part of his plea deal, Santos admitted to a significant amount of the conduct for which he was charged by prosecutors — a reversal of his previous steadfast denials of wrongdoing.
Zoom in: In addition to his prison time, Santos was also ordered last year to pay restitution of nearly $375,000, and forfeit more than $200,000 in ill-gotten gains.
- Santos expressed contrition after entering his guilty plea, but prosecutors pointed to defiant social media posts to argue that his remorse was a facade and that he should receive a harsh sentence.
