Disgraced Congressman George Santos reportedly admitted to guilt in one of many accusations of dishonesty against him.
The recently seated New York Republican reached a deal with Brazilian prosecutors requiring him to admit to defrauding a Rio de Janeiro area clerk of $1,300, according to CNN. The cable news outlets said it viewed a nonprosecutorial agreement for Santos to reimburse the merchant for clothing he purchased with bad checks in 2008.
The congressman’s attorney reportedly petitioned prosecutors in January, arguing their client — freshly sworn into the 118th Congress — was gainfully employed and “re-socialized.”
Weeks earlier, Santos pleaded his case to the New York Post, insisting he “absolutely” didn’t commit any crimes in Brazil. The criminal investigation was reopened in January after Brazilian officials learned Santos was serving as an elected U.S. official, thanks to a successful campaign in which he lied about many aspects of his past.
The 34-year-old lawmaker stepped away from his committee assignments with investigations into his conduct looming. Santos’ office said in January the congressman would donate his $174,000 salary to charity on a quarterly basis.
His personal finances have been under scrutiny since a New York Times’ bombshell story in December refuted claims he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. He also claimed to have graduated from schools he never attended.
Santos tweeted a clip to an unrelated article Thursday, writing, “I’m getting very close to cleaning my name and reputation very soon.”
He was widely mocked on Twitter for that comment, where several people reminded Santos he’s also allegedly gone by the fake names Anthony Devolder and Anthony Zabrovsky while trying to raise money. A drag queen in Brazil alleged Santos used the alias Kitara Ravache while performing in drag shows, which he denies.
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