George Santos tempts more legal trouble after failing to share finances for fourth time
The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) revealed Wednesday that Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who was supposed to submit his financial disclosure form when he entered office, has now ignored a deadline for the fourth time.
While Santos was expelled from the House, it doesn't mean he is off the hook for his responsibilities, CREW explained. Those include filing annual financial disclosures. Santos is already dealing with several legal issues, including being charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud, according to a Justice Department release.
Santos neglected to file a termination report detailing his finances by the Dec. 31 deadline and didn't file for an extension.
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"As a member of Congress leaving office — even one who was forced out — Santos is required to file a final financial disclosure, or at least request an extension, within 30 days of leaving office," said CREW. He hasn't done either. His last disclosure was his 2022 candidate report, and he's missed four deadlines since then.
The pro-government transparency group speculated that Santos' financial distortions seem "to have made him reluctant to file any more reports," whether or not they're necessary.
"Aside from being yet another indication of Santos’s low regard for rules that exist to provide the public with information they can use to hold elected representatives accountable, the failure to file after being given notice by the Clerk’s office could also have legal and financial repercussions for him," quipped CREW.
Santos is the only member of the House who hadn't filed an annual report by October. It was due in May.
He explained he would “rather be late, accurate, and pay the fine than be on time, inaccurate and suffer the consequences of a rushed job.”
There are other members of Congress, CREW said, that have significantly more wealth, stocks and finances to sort through than Santos, but they managed to meet the deadlines.
Members are told in the filing instructions “that the Attorney General may pursue either civil or criminal penalties against an individual who knowingly and willfully falsifies…or fails to file” the reports.
Santos could be charged as much as $71,316 as part of his second offense.