Who saved George Santos? The court is set to reveal the mystery.

Mr. Santos was charged with bank fraud, making illegal money transfers and theft of public funds and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Still, many questions remain. The House Ethics Committee, which has been investigating Mr. Santos for months, has asked him to release the names of his sureties so that it can determine whether the bail guarantee violates the house rules regarding gifts. Media organizations, including The Times, asked the court to release the identity of the bailiffs, arguing that their names were a matter of public interest.

In an attempt to block that attempt, Mr. Murray a letter to the court he had written to the Ethics Committee, arguing that Mr. Santos had not broken the rules. He cited an exception that allows representatives to receive gifts or favors from immediate family members, spouses, extended family, or in-laws.

Mr Murray was more explicit in a subsequent court case, saying that Mr Santos had “essentially publicly disclosed that the sureties are family members and not lobbyists, donors or others seeking to influence the defendant”.

Mr. Santos’ immediate family includes his younger sister, Tiffany, who donated thousands of dollars to her brother’s campaign despite tens of thousands of dollars in back rent in Queens. She was also the president of a New York state PAC called Rise NY, which has ties to Mr. Santos and whose handling of funds has raised questions.

Mr. Santos’ father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., lives in New York. In earlier contributions to his son’s congressional campaign, he listed his occupation as a painter or construction worker, or noted that he was retired. Mr Santos has also said he got married in November 2021, and has said his husband was a pharmacist named Matheus Gerard.

Mr Santos lost his request earlier this month to keep the identities of the people who guaranteed his bond sealed. He then filed an appeal that was rejected by Judge Joanna Seybert on Tuesday. The next hearing on his case is scheduled for June 30.

Nicholas Fandos reporting contributed.