George Santos asks judge to delay sentencing in federal fraud case

Disgraced former New York GOP Rep. George Santos' legal team on Friday asked a judge to delay the sentencing in his federal fraud case by six months, citing a need to raise more money to help offset the funds he owes in restitution and forfeiture.

Santos pleaded guilty in August to federal fraud, campaign finance and embezzlement charges, after admitting his relatives never made campaign donations that he claimed they had. Santos said he lied in order to meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for financial assistance from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The former lawmaker is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7 in Central Islip, New York.

Santos' attorneys claimed that their client now has a means to raise the $600,000 restitution and forfeiture fines he agreed to pay as part of his plea, citing his new "Pants on Fire with George Santos" podcast.

"Mr. Santos now has a viable path to making meaningful progress on satisfying his obligations," the lawyers wrote, per ABC News.

The former lawmaker has also stipulated that he committed other fraud, including charging donor credit cards without authorization and lying to donors in order to get them to give him money by claiming the funds would be used for TV ads. Santos also said he stole money by receiving unemployment benefits during the pandemic that he was not qualified for.

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

Santos faces a prison sentence of between 75-87 months, and a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.