Former U.S. Congressman George Santos, on Monday, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity fraud to avert a trial that would have nailed him with over 24 charges that included money laundering.
Mr Santos syphoned his campaign funds to pay for cosmetic procedures, OnlyFans subscriptions and luxury designer items from Ferragamo and Hermès.
Mr Santos admitted that his actions of stealing funds from political donors to pay for personal expenses betrayed the trust of his supporters and agreed to make a refund $373,000 of stolen funds.
"I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters," Mr Santos admitted in a New York court on Monday. "I deeply regret my conduct, I fully accept responsibility for my actions, and I understand my actions have betrayed the trust of my supporters; I made misrepresentations so that the NRCC would spend money on my campaign."
The 36-year-old former Republican congressman also accessed unemployment benefits despite being gainfully employed, which compounded his legal woes.
Mr Santos is due to be sentenced on February 7, 2025.
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