George Santos seeks sentencing delay in federal fraud case

Disgraced former Congressman George Santos asked a judge on Friday to delay his sentencing in his federal fraud case.

Santos is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7 in Central Islip, New York, after pleading guilty to federal fraud, campaign finance and embezzlement charges.

His attorneys asked the judge to postpone the sentencing by six months, until August, to give Santos more time to make money so he can meet the nearly $600,000 he owes in restitution and forfeiture, according to a new court filing.

"Mr. Santos now has a viable path to making meaningful progress on satisfying his obligations," his lawyers stated in a motion filed on Friday, citing the launch of a new podcast, "Pants on Fire with George Santos."

Federal prosecutors did not immediately respond, though the defense noted that the government opposes a delay.

The former New York representative pleaded guilty in August to claiming relatives had made contributions to his campaign when, in fact, they had not. Santos conceded he was trying to meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for financial help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

He told reporters at the time that the guilty plea was the "right thing to do."

"This plea is not just an admission of guilt," Santos said. "It's an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law."

Santos also stipulated that he committed other fraud, including charging donor credit cards without authorization and convincing donors to give money by falsely stating the money would be used for TV ads. He also stipulated he stole public money by applying for and receiving unemployment benefits during the pandemic to which he was not entitled.

Santos conceded in a statement to the court his actions "betrayed" his constituents and others.

He faces a sentence of 75-87 months, including a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.

He also must pay restitution of nearly $374,000 and forfeiture of more than $200,000.

Santos' lawyers flagged in the final moments of his plea hearing on Aug. 19 that the former congressman may not be able to pay over $200,000 in restitution.

He is required to pay the restitution 30 days before his sentencing on Feb. 7 and could face additional sanctions if he fails to pay in time.

Santos represented New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and Nassau counties, beginning in January 2023, before being expelled from Congress on Dec. 1, 2023.