George Santos pleads not guilty to federal fraud charges

Republican Rep. George Santos pleaded not guilty to all fraud charges against him in federal court in New York. The indictment alleges that Santos carried out an embezzlement scheme to raise thousands of dollars for his congressional campaign.

On Friday, the representative appeared in Long Island Federal Court along with his lawyer to testify before the judge. It is the second time that Santos has pleaded not guilty. The first was in May for another open case against him.

Upon leaving the court, Santos did not offer any statement to the media waiting at the entrance. Just one day before his court appearance, several members of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives weighed a motion to remove the representative from Congress.

All his treasurer's fault

According to AP, the judge set Santos' trial date for September 2024. Meanwhile, Santos is free on bail. He continues to serve in the House of Representatives and assures the press that the accusations against him are the result of fraudulent management by his campaign's treasurer, Nancy Marks.

Earlier this October, Marks also testified before the judge and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and implicated Santos in the same scheme. Santos denied Marks' allegations.