George Santos legal professional expresses optimism about plea talks as expelled congressman seems in court docket
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — Former U.S. Rep. George Santos ‘ lawyer expressed optimism about plea negotiations in Santos’ prison fraud case Tuesday, efficiently heading off prosecutors’ makes an attempt to hurry up the ousted congressman’s trial.
In Santos’ first court docket look since he was expelled from Congress earlier this month, his legal professional, Joseph Murray, argued that it was untimely to carry the September trial ahead whereas the 2 events have been in talks to resolve the case.
“We should focus on the plea deal. I believe they can be fruitful,” Murray advised Judge Joanna Seybert within the federal court docket in Long Island. He additionally argued that he was “struggling” to maintain up with “voluminous materials” produced by the federal government through the discovery course of.
Seybert sided with Murray, saying she would attempt to transfer the case “as expeditiously as possible” however that September appeared just like the earliest attainable date based mostly on her present caseload. She set the subsequent listening to within the case for Jan. 23.
Santos, carrying a blue blazer over a darkish sweater, declined to touch upon the case to reporters as he left the courthouse, saying to 1, “It’s cold, go home.”
Santos earlier this month turned solely the sixth lawmaker in historical past to be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, a transfer that left Republicans with a razor-thin majority within the chamber.
The ex-lawmaker faces a slew of prison fees, together with allegations that he defrauded marketing campaign donors, lied to Congress about his wealth, acquired unemployment advantages whereas employed, and used marketing campaign contributions to pay for private bills like designer clothes. Among the fees are allegations that he made unauthorized fees on bank cards belonging to a few of his donors.
Santos, 35, pleaded not responsible to a revised indictment in October.
Prosecutors revealed in a court docket submitting Monday that they have been negotiating with Santos to probably resolve his prison case with no trial.
In an interview on CBS New York that aired Sunday, Santos mentioned he hadn’t dominated out pleading responsible, saying “there’s obviously conversations taking place, especially after what happened in Congress, and we’ll see.”
Santos was elected final 12 months after campaigning as a self-made Wall Street whiz, however was revealed after the election to have been a fabulist who had lied about the place he labored, the place he went to school and massive chunks of his private background.
Since leaving Congress, Santos launched an account on the web site Cameo, the place the general public pays him for a customized video message. In the televised interview, Santos mentioned he made extra money in per week on the platform than his annual wage as a congressman.
A particular election will probably be held Feb. 13 to elect his successor in a House district that features a combine of rich Long Island suburbs and a working-class part of Queens.
That race will probably pit former U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat who beforehand held the seat earlier than operating unsuccessfully for governor, towards one in all a lot of Republicans.
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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
