Santos has been eyeing a plea deal
Since his expulsion from the House in December, Santos has been busy defending himself against federal charges. Last year, Santos was charged with 23 felonies in an election-fraud scheme in federal court. And though he previously pleaded not guilty on each count and rejected the possibility of a plea deal, prosecutors announced in December that the parties were negotiating to reach a deal for Santos to plead guilty and avoid going to trial. Santos's case is not due in court again until August, ahead of a September trial date, potentially giving his legal team and prosecutors time to reach a resolution.
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As for what the charges are about, Santos is accused of a battery of fraud-related crimes, including using a fake super PAC for political donations, which he then allegedly spent on everything from his rent to botox. He was first indicted in May, but was charged with additional counts in October. Fellow Republican Rep. Max Miller from Ohio even revealed that he and his mother had been victims of Santos's alleged scheme when their credit cards were charged without their knowledge, and Miller said he suspected other House colleagues had had the same experience. Perhaps siphoning money from colleagues was not a good way to make friends: As Geoffrey mentioned earlier, Santos became only the sixth member of the House to ever be expelled, and the first in the modern era to be expelled prior to being convicted of any crimes.
Of course, appearing in court is not all that Santos is doing these days. He's also earning big bucks making appearances on Cameo and otherwise taking advantage of his 15 minutes of fame. With the election to replace him underway, and his court case pressing on toward a resolution, maybe that time is almost up.
—Monica Potts, 538