Prosecutors charge Congressman George Santos for identity theft

Federal prosecutors in New York handed Republican congressman George Santos 10 additional charges Tuesday, including identity theft and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), as the 35-year-old was in the news since his election in 2022. 

The scandal-stricken legislator who was earlier indicted on seven counts of wire fraud, three of money laundering, one of theft of tax payer's money and two concerning false statements to the House of Representatives, pleaded not guilty in May.

Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said: "Santos is charged with stealing people's identities and making charges on his own donors' credit cards without their authorisation, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign."

"Santos falsely inflated the campaign's reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen," Peace said in a statement.

Santos is due to appear before the jury on October 27 to answer the charges.

The 35-year-old has already admitted fabricating much of his biography, including his real name, his religion — he falsely claimed to be Jewish — his schooling and his employment history when he ran last year for a House seat representing parts of Long Island, New York.

According to the initial indictment, George Santos defrauded donors during his successful November 2022 election, transferring money into his own account and using it to pay off personal debts and buy designer clothing.

Santos is also accused of collecting unemployment benefits that he was not entitled to during the coronavirus pandemic, before his election to Congress.

Prosecutors say he pocketed $24,000 in benefits while earning $120,000 a year at a Florida-based investment firm.

Santos has faced calls to resign from constituents, some fellow Republicans as well as Democrats in Congress, but has thus far refused.