Prosecutors want to use George Santos' lies from campaign trail against him at trial
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Federal prosecutors want to use the lies George Santos told to voters while on the campaign trail against him when the disgraced former Congressman goes on trial next month, according to a new court filing.
While the lies about his biography in and of themselves are not part of the criminal charges Santos faces - which include lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while actually working and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses - prosecutors said Santos' falsification of his background and financial profile are "intrinsic to the charged crimes."
Santos has pleaded not guilty. He represented parts of Queens and Long Island, before a bipartisan vote December 1, 2023 expelled him from Congress.
At trial, currently set for September 9, prosecutors want to tell the jury Santos told a host of lies, including falsely claiming to have graduated from Baruch College; falsely claiming to have graduated from New York University; falsely claiming to have been employed at Citigroup; falsely claiming to have been employed at Goldman Sachs.
They said it would "establish the defendant's state of mind in connection with the charged crimes."
The defense did not immediately respond to the prosecutor's motion to permit so-called other-act evidence.
The defense filed a motion of its own asking the case be heard by a partially anonymous jury, which would keep an individual juror's identity from all but the parties, the attorneys and the judge. The defense said it's necessary "due to the extraordinary level of media attention surrounding Santos and the significant risks this publicity poses to juror safety, privacy, and impartiality."
"The extensive and largely negative media coverage, combined with the political nature of the case, creates a substantial risk that jurors could face harassment or intimidation if their identities are known, potentially compromising the fairness of the trial," defense attorney Joe Murray wrote.
RELATED | George Santos: The Man, the Myths, the Lessons
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