While negotiations remain ongoing, former Rep. George Santos has not yet entered a plea deal in his 23-count federal fraud trial.
Wearing his usual jacket and sweater, the recently-expelled Santos appeared dejected in court as his attorney, Joseph Murray, and the prosecutors sparred over the trial date.
Plea Deal Remains On The Table; Evidence Needs Further Review, Attorney Says
Judge Joanna Seybert announced that the prosecution had requested an earlier date – May or June of 2024. Murray argued that the amount of evidence he and Santos had to go through — well over a million pages – was “too voluminous” for an earlier date, adding that a thorough review of all evidence will inform the decision on whether or not to take a plea deal.
Murray added that some of the evidence had initially been classified as sensitive, meaning Santos could only look at it in his attorney’s presence, which further slowed the process down – although he added that the prosecution had reclassified it.
Seybert decided in favor of the defense, saying that she has never seen a case that has seen indictment and trial in a year or less.
The Future For George Santos
Seybert set the trial date for September at the earliest, with another status conference for Jan. 23.
The prosecution added that two individuals may testify at Santos’s trial, having previously taken plea deals — one of these could be Nancy Marks, Santos’s former campaign treasurer who pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge.
Santos, who is only the sixth individual in American history to be expelled from Congress, could face up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty.
Unlike at his last appearance, there were no protestors heckling Santos this time, and a sullen-looking Santos only answered the question of what kind of shoes he was wearing this time — he answered Ferragamo.
