The bulk of the charges against Rep. George Santos — seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering — stem from what federal prosecutors are calling a “Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme” in which Santos allegedly used campaign funds on personal expenses beginning in September 2022. Santos, through an unnamed political consultant from Queens, convinced two political donors to part with $25,000 each by telling them “their money would be used to help elect Santos to the House, including by purchasing television advertisements,” per a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Santos allegedly used an LLC he operated, claiming it was a legitimate campaign fund, to receive the money, which he then moved into his personal accounts, according to the press release. Each time he emailed or texted the unnamed political consultant in regard to the alleged scheme or moved the money to his personal counts is considered a separate charge.
