George Santos, the disgraced ex-congressman who once rode the MAGA wave to Washington, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft.
Standing before Judge Joanna Seybert in federal court, Santos wore his usual look—V-neck sweater over a white shirt and tie, topped with a suit jacket. But this time, there were no cameras, no campaign trail, no crowd—just judgment. “Where’s the remorse? Where do I see it?” Seybert asked before handing down 87 months behind bars.
Santos, once a rising star for the GOP, admitted to a laundry list of crimes: stealing donor credit card info, lying to the FEC, committing wire fraud, and misleading voters to fund his campaign. In August, he pled guilty. But instead of owning up, he’s spent months attacking the Justice Department online, claiming they’re trying to “break” him.
Federal prosecutors weren’t buying it. They called him “unrepentant for his crimes” and said his actions showed an “insatiable appetite for ‘likes’.” They pointed to his social media rants and his attempt to paint himself as a victim, calling it a “bizarre missive.”
Santos’s lawyers begged for just two years, claiming his crimes came from “misguided desperation” rather than malice. The judge didn’t go for it.
Once hailed by Trump allies as a new GOP star, Santos’s fall was fast and humiliating. He lied about everything: jobs at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, a degree from Baruch College, even his religion and family history. One of his more disgusting lies? That his mother survived 9/11. She wasn’t even in the country at the time.
He also lied about running a charity, pocketed $3,000 meant for a veteran’s dog, and claimed his grandparents survived the Holocaust—again, with no evidence.
The lies kept coming. But even after being charged with 23 felonies and kicked out of Congress in December 2023, Santos refused to take full responsibility.
Now, instead of serving in Congress, Santos is serving prison time—and trying to cash in on his infamy through paid videos and a podcast called “Pants on Fire.” It’s all part of a desperate attempt to pay off his $580,000 in penalties.
Santos joins a long roster of MAGA-linked politicians, aides, and Trump supporters who have faced indictments, convictions, or prison time.
