Specter of Plea Deal Accompanies Santos to Court
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — There were no hecklers outside the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Tuesday as George Santos and attorney Joseph Murray arrived for a morning status hearing on his 23-count federal fraud trial.
And the only question the former congressman felt obliged to answer from the mere smattering of reporters who had gathered near the courthouse steps was about his shoes.
“Ferragamo,” he said.
But the real question hanging in the air was would he or wouldn’t he strike a deal with federal prosecutors that could shave years off his potential 20-year prison sentence if he is convicted of everything of which he’s charged.
On Monday, prosecutors informed U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert in a court filing that they are “engaged” in plea negotiations with Santos that could resolve the case “without the need for a trial.”
“The parties wish to continue those negotiations over the next 30 days,” they said.
At present, the current plan set out by Seybert is for Santos to be tried some time in September on multiple counts of wire fraud, identity theft and making false statements.
On Tuesday, prosecutors pressed to move up that time table, asking that a trial date be scheduled in May or June.
But Murray pushed back, telling Seybert he and Santos had well over a million pages of documents to go through to prepare for trial.
He added that having the time to go through the material is crucial to his client being able to make an informed decision on whether or not to take a plea deal.
Seybert ultimately decided in favor of the defense, explaining that she has never seen a case that has seen indictment and trial in a year or less.
She then scheduled another status conference for Jan. 23.
In the meantime, the prosecution has added that two individuals who have previously taken plea deals may testify at Santos’ trials.
They are Samuel Miele, a former campaign fundraiser for Santos, who last month pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to impersonating a top aide to ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., while soliciting donations, and Nancy Marks, the ex-congressman’s former campaign treasurer, who pleaded guilty to multiple campaign finance charges related to her work for him.
Santos was expelled from Congress in early December in the wake of a scathing report from the House Ethics Committee on his conduct.
Santos pleaded not guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House after his first indictment was unsealed in May.
He also pleaded not guilty in October to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission and falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC.
While Santos appeared subdued on Tuesday, the New York Post reported this weekend that he partied with two of his former colleagues, Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., this past weekend at the popular Beach Cafe on New York’s Upper East Side.
Boebert and Donalds were in town for an event sponsored by the New York Young Republican Club, at which former President Donald Trump spoke.
The two representatives, both of whom voted against expelling Santos, then made their way to the Beach Cafe after party, where they met up with him.
According to the Post report, Santos is now making a living selling personalized videos on the website Cameo for $599 a piece.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
