U.S. Representative George Santos leaves the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip, New York, on May 10, 2023.
Photograph by Barry Williams | New York Daily News | Getty Images
The concealed identities of Republican Representative George Santos’ bail backers in his federal criminal case will be disclosed this Thursday at noon ET.
Santos, the controversial rookie congressman from New York, was apprehended last month and is currently facing multiple charges, including money laundering and wire fraud. Despite pleading not guilty to all 13 counts, Santos was released on a $500,000 bond with support from multiple guarantors, whose names have remained undisclosed to the public.
The New York Times has requested U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert to reveal the records containing the identities of these individuals, who are referred to as suretors in court documents.
The Times believes that the law upholds the public’s right to access this information, especially considering “an obvious opportunity for political influence” in this case, as highlighted by the “very crimes Rep. Santos has been charged with involve abusing the political process for personal gain.”
A group of news organizations, including NBC News, has joined the cause, arguing that “Rep. Santos cannot override the presumption of openness” guaranteed by the First Amendment and federal common law.
Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, has appealed to the court to deny these requests, pointing out the media frenzy surrounding the case.
The intense media coverage has created significant fear and concern among the suretors, with one of them backing out just before Santos’ arraignment on May 10. Murray contends that if their names become public, the guarantors will likely face severe distress and potential retaliation.
“My client would rather surrender to pretrial detention than subject these suretors to the inevitable consequences,” he added.
A federal magistrate judge has sided with the news organizations, but has given Santos an opportunity to appeal. In response, his lawyer asked Judge Seybert if a compromise could be reached, such as disclosing that the suretors are Santos’ family members without specifying their identities.
However, on Tuesday evening, the judge ordered the unsealing of “all previously sealed documents, including the Bond,” specifically requiring the disclosure of the names of Santos’ suretors.
The judge further noted that if Santos’ remaining guarantors decide to withdraw their support, he can request a modification of his bail conditions.
34-year-old Santos stands accused of defrauding his campaign supporters, lying to obtain unemployment funds during the pandemic, and making false statements on his congressional disclosure forms.
According to the Department of Justice, he could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the most serious charges against him.
Santos, who entered office amid controversy in January, is the first openly gay representative elected to Congress by the Republican Party. Despite the allegations, he has declared his intention to remain in office and seek reelection in 2024.
Disclosure: NBC News and CNBC are both part of NBCUniversal.
This is an ongoing news story. Please check back for updates.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
