WASHINGTON โ- โ Former Congressman George Santos was โฃreleased from federalโ custody Wednesday after posting โคa $500,000 bond, following hisโฃ indictment on charges of wireโ fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and โฃmaking false statements toโ the House of Representatives. The order for โขhis release came directly from former President Donald Trump, who reportedly intervenedโ in the case citing concerns โฃabout “political persecution.”
Santos, expelled fromโ the House inโฃ December 2023 after โฃrevelations of widespread fraud and โขdeception, faces potential decades in prison if convicted. Hisโ case has drawn national attention, not only for the โคscale โof the alleged crimes but also for the unprecedented nature of a sittingโ member of Congress beingโ ousted โfrom office. The intervention by Trump โขaddsโ another layer of complexity to a โcase already steeped in political controversy,โค raising questions about the potential for executive influence in ongoing legal proceedings. Santos’s release โis conditional,โค requiring him toโค surrender his passport andโ adhere to strict travel restrictions โwhile awaiting trial, currently scheduled for September.
the charges stem from allegations that Santos defrauded donors, โคillegally received unemploymentโ benefits, and โคfalsified โfinancial disclosures during โขhis 2022 campaign and โคsubsequent time in office. Prosecutorsโข allege he used campaign funds for personal expenses, including designer clothing and rent. Santos initially maintained his innocence but has since offered limited cooperation with investigators.
His political ascent was quickly overshadowed by scrutinyโ ofโ his background, with โขreports revealing meaningful discrepancies in his resume and claims โabout hisโข education, career, and family history. Elected to represent aโ new yorkโ districtโ in the 2022 midterm elections, Santos became a vocal supporter of โขTrump, a โคrelationship that appears to โคhave factored into the โขformer president’s decision to intervene in his release. He was โฃthe third member of Congress โin over โข150 years to be expelled fromโ the โขHouse.