A well-known law professor and political commentator is blasting U.S. Rep. George Santos, after the New York Republican congressman who was indicted Tuesday and arraigned earlier Wednesday on 13 federal criminal charges held a press conference and claimed his “defense” is that during the height of the coronavirus pandemic laws weren’t very clear.
Santos, who remains a sitting U.S. Congressman and has filed to run for re-election, was arraigned on federal charges which include “seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives,” according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
After being released on a $500,000 bond, Santos spoke to reporters. At one point a reporter asked him about one of the lesser-known allegations.
Federal prosecutors are alleging that during the COVID-19 pandemic Santos, while employed at a job allegedly making $120,000 a year, and running for Congress, filed for and received unemployment benefits totaling over $24,000, as NCRM detailed in a report Wednesday morning.
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“At the height of the pandemic in 2020, George Santos allegedly applied for and received unemployment benefits while he was employed and running for Congress,” Nassau County, New York District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said in a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “As charged in the indictment, the defendant’s alleged behavior continued during his second run for Congress when he pocketed campaign contributions and used that money to pay down personal debts and buy designer clothing.”
At Santos’ press conference ABC News’ Rachel Scott asked the indicted GOP congressman how he could file “for unemployment benefits when you had a job making 100,000 a year?”
“Rachel, this is part of my defense,” replied Santos, standing in front of a large handheld sign that read “lies” (video below). “This is inaccurate information. And I will get to clear my name on this. During the pandemic it wasn’t very clear. I don’t understand where the government’s getting their information, but I will present my facts.”
“Prosecutors say that you got over $20,000 in unemployment benefits, sir,” the re[porter responded. “How is that acceptable?”
“Ma’am,” Santos replied, “like I said, my employment was changed during the time. I don’t understand where the government’s coming from. I’ll present my defense.”
Harry Litman, a former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General who is also the legal affairs columnist for the Los Angeles Times, suggested Santos should stop talking to the press, and mocked the congressman’s “defense.”
“Wasn’t clear that you couldn’t get unemployment benefits if you were working and lied saying you weren’t??” Litman tweeted. “He’s now stuck with this nonsense explanation.”
“He needs to shut up completely,” Litman added. “Look for him to retreat soon to the ‘can’t talk about pending charges’ line.”
Watch Santos below or at this link: