The details of the George Santos indictment spell bad news for Donald Trump
May 9 was a stellar day for those who dislike corrupt Republicans. Donald Trump was found liable of battery/sexual abuse and defamation in Jean Carroll’s lawsuit. Everyone is asking about criminal charges against Trump, but trust and believe they are coming. In the meantime, our favorite lying Congressman was charged with crimes by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. What a banner day for those who like the truth. The Washington Post linked to the unsealed indictment, and we now know more about the charges, which include money laundering, stealing public money, wire fraud, and making false statements to Congress.
The charges against Santos are quite serious, yet he is, of course, refusing to resign. He was given a $500,000 bond (which doesn’t mean he paid that much but only a percentage), and his travel has been restricted. While refusing to resign, Santos said: “I will prove myself innocent,” and like the other well-known liar, called the investigation a “witch hunt.” The funny thing about Santos is that he has done nothing but lie since he came on the scene. To think that any investigation into him is a “witch hunt” is ludicrous. If convicted, he is looking at up to 20 years in prison, and if he is convicted on more than one count, the judge has discretion on whether he will serve his sentences concurrently or consecutively.
Now that these charges have been filed, Santos can expect to be charged in Brazil according to the New York Times. Those charges were suspended because Brazilian police were unable to locate Santos. Well, they know where to find him now, and a hearing has been scheduled for Thursday. Santos can claim innocence all he wants, but as with Donald Trump, these charges don’t keep coming out of nowhere. Evidence is required to charge someone with a crime. It is then up to the prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crimes were committed by the accused. Right now, we don’t know what evidence the feds are holding, but we will certainly find out soon enough.
One of the charges sounds eerily like Donald Trump, who uses campaign funds as he sees fit. In Santos’ case, it is alleged that he induced donors to donate to his campaign and used the funds for designer clothes, credit cards, and car payments. Santos has also been found to be a beneficiary of unemployment benefits while making $120,000 per year as the regional director of an investment firm that has now been closed by the government as a Ponzi scheme.
Yes, the law provides that people accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty, but unless Santos is the unluckiest person in the world who keeps getting caught up in things out of his control, he’s guilty as hell. Look at the man-he’s a consummate liar and fraudster, and his so-called business sounds like a front for something else. Pardon the cliché, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s most likely a duck.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years