Former New York lawmaker and pathological liar George Santos, who scammed donors to bankroll his winning campaign, cried like a child as he learned his fate in his sprawling federal corruption case on Friday. Santos was sentenced of 87 months, over seven years, in prison followed by an additional two years of supervised release.
The openly gay former Long Island politician, who was exposed for fabricating large portions of his life story, received the prison term from federal Judge Joanna Seybert in Central Islip. As part of his sentence, he has also been ordered to pay $373,000 in restitution. Santos broke down in tears soon after his sentencing was announced.
George of the Jail
"Where is your remorse? Where do I see it?" U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert asked Santos during his sentencing on Friday. The judge then told Santos, "it's always someone else to blame."
The disgraced former lawmaker broke down in tears as he told the court he felt "humbled" and realized that he had let down the people who had trusted him. "I offer my deepest apologies," he said, adding, "I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead."
Santos, 36, pleaded guilty in August to federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, confessing that he lied to donors and used the names of several people—including relatives and friends—to falsely boost his campaign donor count.
He spent less than a year in the House, representing areas of Queens and Nassau County in a district he turned Republican, before he was expelled from Congress in December 2023—becoming just the sixth member in U.S. House history to be removed from office.
Santos—who now sells custom video messages for $100 each on Cameo—ignored reporters' questions as he entered the courthouse on Friday, though he had posted a cryptic "Soon" with prayer-hand emojis on X just hours before learning his fate.
Prosecutors asked that the former Republican congressman, known for his flashy style and Ferragamo shoes, receive a seven-year prison term—the maximum suggested under federal sentencing guidelines. Santos had faced somewhere between two and 20 years behind bars.
Federal prosecutors argued in recent court filings that his social media activity showed a lack of true remorse, pointing to posts where Santos slammed the Department of Justice and called himself a "scapegoat."
However, his legal team argued that he was reacting emotionally to what he saw as an overly harsh sentencing recommendation and insisted that Santos remained "profoundly sorry" for his actions.
No Remorse Ahead of Sentencing
Santos was elected in 2022 but soon came under fire after it was revealed he had lied time and again during his campaign — including making false claims about his education and job history.
He claimed he earned degrees from Baruch College and New York University and had worked at financial giants Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. However, in reality, he didn't complete college and had never worked directly for any of the companies.
In May 2023, federal prosecutors charged him in a 23-count indictment, accusing him of misusing campaign funds, deceiving donors, and laundering money between October 2021 and October 2022.
They alleged he lied about his finances to Congress, collected unemployment benefits while employed, and spent campaign donations on a lavish lifestyle—buying designer clothing, getting Botox treatments, and going on luxurious trips.
On Tuesday, Santos said in an interview that he hopes to be placed in protective custody while incarcerated because he fears for his safety. Santos must surrender to begin his sentence on July 25.
