Republican congressman George Santos is released on bail and declares that he does not intend to resign

New York Republican congressman George Santos, famous for the web of falsehoods he concocted to be elected, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes for which he was arrested this Wednesday and released on half a million dollar bail .

Santos has appeared before a federal judge after being charged with alleged fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and false testimony, with a total of thirteen charges against him. Amid great expectation, the legislator has pleaded not guilty to all these accusations, according to media present at the court in the town of Central Islip (New York) where the session took place.

Santos has been released on probation on $500,000 bail guaranteed by three anonymous people, and the judge, Anne Y.. Shields, has decreed that their movements should be limited to New York, Washington, and places in between. To travel to other points, the 34-year-old congressman must receive prior approval, as decided by the judge.

Leaving the court shouting “liar”, Santos has made it clear that he does not intend to give up his seat in Congress, something that the Republican Party has not asked him to do so far, and has added that he even intends to run for re-election in next year's elections.

In fact, he has thanked the Republican Party for “being patient”, in reference to the words of his leaders in Washington that they would not pressure him to leave the seat.. The congressman even had time to tweet a brief message: “Witch hunt”. It is the same expression used by former President Donald Trump – of whom Santos declares himself an admirer – to refer to the legal cases opened against him.

As usual with Republicans, he has alluded to alleged crimes committed by those close to US President Joe Biden, and has complained that, unlike his case, they go unpunished, adding that he will provide evidence that the accusations against him are without foundation.

If found guilty, Santos faces up to twenty years in prison for the most serious charges.

“Aggressively eradicate corruption”

The Department of Justice has designated him this Wednesday as a suspect of “embezzling donations from his supporters, fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits and lying to the House of Representatives.”

United States Attorney Breon Peace, of the Eastern District of New York, has affirmed that, with his indictment this Wednesday, he intends to “aggressively eradicate corruption and self-deception from public institutions, as well as hold public officials accountable to constituencies that they chose them.”

Peace has referred to (Santos's) “persistent dishonesty and deceit in order to ascend the halls of Congress and enrich themselves.”. “He used political donations to line his pockets,” he said graphically, before recalling that he also benefited from unemployment funds “that should have gone to New Yorkers who lost their jobs in the pandemic.”

More directly criminal conduct

Shortly after Santos's election last year, The New York Times was the first to reveal the entire network of falsehoods that adorned his false resume, relating to his family, his religion, his studies or his hobbies, and the Santos himself went so far as to admit that he had “embellished” some of those details.

Media scrutiny thereafter, however, revealed more directly criminal conduct related to the use of the money, and while the local chapter of the Republican Party solemnly distanced itself from Santos, in Washington the party has been much less strict and it has not prevented him from continuing in the seat.