New York Republican Rep. George Santos appeared in a Long Island courtroom on Friday to enter a not guilty plea to a slew of new felony charges, including conspiracy, false statements, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud.

What You Need To Know

  • New York Republican Rep. George Santos pleaded not guilty to a slew of new felony charges, including conspiracy, false statements, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud

  • Prosecutors accused Santos of charging tens of thousands of dollars to his donors' credit cards without their knowledge, stealing his family members’ identities and inflating his campaign finance reports to federal election authorities by hundreds of thousands of dollars

  • The new indictment, unsealed earlier this month, adds to the numerous charges facing the embattled Republican; he was charged in May with 13 felony counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds; he pleaded not guilty to those charges as well

  • The development comes one day after a group of Santos' fellow New York freshman Republican congressmen took to the House floor to formally introduce a measure to expel him from Congress

Prosecutors accused Santos of charging tens of thousands of dollars to his donors' credit cards without their knowledge, stealing his family members’ identities and inflating his campaign finance reports to federal election authorities by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The new indictment, unsealed earlier this month, adds to the numerous charges facing the embattled Republican; he was charged in May with 13 felony counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds. Santos has pleaded not guilty to those charges as well and proclaimed his innocence, pledging to fight the case against him. 

Santos was given a Sept. 2024 trial date as part of Friday's proceedings.

The development comes one day after a group of Santos' fellow New York freshman Republican congressmen took to the House floor to formally introduce a measure to expel him from Congress.

New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, whose Long Island district borders Santos', introduced the expulsion measure as a so-called “privileged resolution,” meaning it must be considered within two legislative days of being offered. The House is not back in session until the middle of next week.

D’Esposito was joined on the House floor by Reps. Marc Molinaro, Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota — all freshman New York Republican congressmen who represent districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020, much like Santos.

"Santos is a stain on the House," D'Esposito wrote on social media. "This conman must be expelled."

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Santos insisted that he is “not resigning” and is “entitled to due process and not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking.”

D’Esposito initially announced his intent to introduce a measure to expel Santos weeks ago, the day after the new charges were unsealed, but the House had been without a speaker at the time and largely unable to conduct business. Republicans elected a speaker on Wednesday after weeks of chaos and infighting left the chamber leaderless following Kevin McCarthy’s ouster earlier this month.

In a statement at the time, Santos said it would set a "dangerous precedent" to expel him from Congress without being found guilty.

"Amidst this chaotic mix, more wrenches are being thrown, further complicating matters. It's disheartening to witness my colleagues prioritize their campaigns over the essential work that needs to be done," Santos said. "An expulsion of myself as a member of Congress before being found guilty from a criminal investigation will set a dangerous precedent. This will do nothing other than erase the voices of the electorate."

"Stay strong my fellow Americans, and trust that the process will unfold as it should. Together, we can overcome these challenges and forge a better future for all Americans," the beleaguered congressman added.

This is a developing story. Check back later for further updates.