NEW YORK — As George Santos approaches his sentencing on fraud charges, he finds himself defending a heated online outburst to the presiding federal judge, scheduled for later this week. Santos, a former congressman from New York, addressed the court in a detailed letter ahead of Friday’s hearing, expressing his deep remorse for his actions while simultaneously decrying the prosecution’s recommendation for a seven-year sentence as excessive and unwarranted.
“I awake each day with the same realization: I am the one at fault,” Santos conveyed, reflecting on his guilty plea from the previous summer. Although filled with regret, the ex-Republican legislator maintained that acknowledging his wrongdoings shouldn’t equate to passively accepting what he perceives as an unduly harsh sentence from the prosecution.
Prosecutors, in their recent filing, asserted that Santos has yet to show authentic remorse for his crimes, despite claims from his legal team advocating for a reduced two-year sentence. They highlighted Santos’s inflammatory remarks on X, previously known as Twitter, where he labeled the U.S. Department of Justice a “cabal of pedophiles” and portrayed himself as a victim of prosecutorial zeal.
Acknowledging accusations of tricking donors and identity theft during his political campaign, Santos argued that his vibrant online statements were being misconstrued by the prosecutors as a means to undermine him. “Challenging the severity of a proposed punishment is not equivalent to disputing guilt,” Santos asserted, emphasizing that penalizing free speech questioning the punishment should concern anyone prioritizing justice over retributive motives.
Santos explained that his characterization of himself as a “scapegoat” online pertained to prosecutor claims depicting him as the “organizer/leader” in his campaign’s financial misconduct, suggesting it does not justify a harsher sentence. He placed equal responsibility on his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, who has also confessed to guilt and faces her sentencing soon.
“If I were the criminal genius they describe, I would surely be the most inept,” Santos remarked, referencing public evidence linking him to the misconduct. Furthermore, he contended that he has been proactive in attempting to repay the approximate $580,000 due under his plea agreement, liquidating personal assets and minimizing living costs to fund his restitution.
Stressing his solitary approach to the situation, Santos noted that he had refrained from seeking character letters from friends or family or expecting any support during his sentencing in Long Island’s federal court, driven by embarrassment. “I’ve chosen to handle this burden alone,” he wrote.
The prosecuting U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has opted not to provide comments on the ongoing case. Santos, elected in 2022 to represent various areas of Queens and Long Island, served briefly before being expelled from Congress. His fabrication of autobiographical details sparked scrutiny over the origins of his campaign’s financial backing.