Rep. George Santos’ Summer Reading List: 80,000 Pages of Evidence

As other Republicans prepared to celebrate Independence Day with the traditional red-white-and-blue handshake, Rep. George Santos found himself in the maze of the U.S. justice system, appearing for the first time since pleading not guilty in a federal judge. to 13 crimes in May.

Mr. Santos’ case is still in limbo and no trial date has yet been set. But in a hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes, the prosecution and defense agreed to meet again on September 7. Mr. Santos and his attorney said they would spend the August Congressional recess reviewing the evidence provided by prosecutors to date — 80,000 pages of it. .

Mr. Santos, wearing a gray checked jacket and light red tie, was silent throughout the proceedings. Gone was the fighting spirit that had characterized his press conferences and social media posts. After the hearing, he donned dark sunglasses and left the courtroom without speaking to reporters.

Mr. Santos — whose misadventures include a stint at a company alleged to run a Ponzi scheme, allegations of check fraud in Brazil and Pennsylvania, and lies about everything from college volleyball to the Holocaust — faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years for telegram fraud, money laundering and theft of government funds. Mr. Santos, who represents parts of Long Island and Queens, was indicted last month and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

As Mr. Santos left the Alfonse M. D’Amato United States Courthouse in Central Islip on Long Island, a group of five protesters began chanting “resignation.” Was among them Richard Ostoffa veteran who has accused Mr. Santos of spending money meant to save the life of his service dog, Sapphire.

“You killed Sapphire, George,” Mr. Osthoff sang over the crowd as Mr. Santos approached, adding that he believed Mr. Santos had a “black soul.”

In the months since Mr. Santos helped Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, he has faced intense scrutiny. In December, The Times revealed that he had faked much of his life story, leading to investigations into his business dealings and campaign finances. And while Mr Santos, 34, has admitted to embellishing his education and work history, he has refused to step down and pledged to seek re-election in 2024.

Prosecutors say Mr. Santos orchestrated three schemes. They say that during his most recent congressional run, he defrauded donors of $50,000 that he used to buy designer items and cover personal debts. Authorities have also accused him of collecting unemployment funds while employed and lying on his home’s financial disclosure forms.

Mr. Santos is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which took the unusual step of releasing a status report last week. In it, the closed committee announced that it had issued more than 30 subpoenas and 40 voluntary requests for information related to Mr. Santos’ financial disclosure forms, business dealings, the 2022 congressional campaign, and an allegation that he had sexually harassed a prospective congressional aide.

The commission also announced it had expanded its investigation to include allegations in the indictment that Mr. Santos falsely claimed more than $24,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while working at a Florida-based investment firm.

It is not clear when the ethics committee will complete its work.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has a five-member majority in the 435-member House of Representatives, has declined to join Democrats and some New York Republicans in calling for Mr. Santos’ resignation, which would force a special election. But he has also said he does not believe Mr Santos should seek re-election, telling reporters he would consider expelling him depending on the ethics committee’s findings.

Last week, Mr. Santos lost a legal battle to stop the release of the names of the two people who guaranteed his $500,000 bail after news organizations, including The New York Times, argued over their identities being made public. His sureties turned out to be his father and an aunt.

According to court documents, Mr. Santos’ father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., and his aunt, Elma Preven, were not required to put up any money or property to secure the bond. But they could be financially responsible if Mr. Santos misses a trial or otherwise violates the terms of his release.

Under his band, Mr. Santos’ travel is limited to New York, Washington, D.C. and places in between. He must obtain prior permission to travel elsewhere, including for political and campaign events.

Mr. Santos found some small support on Friday. As he walked from the courthouse to a brown SUV, a middle-aged woman dressed in red approached him and handed him a small American flag.

Mr. Santos took the flag and smiled. Then he got into his car and sped off.