Representative George Santos on Friday appealed the decision of a federal magistrate judge who ordered the release of the names of people who helped bail him out of federal custody, suggesting that the individuals were family members.
The identities of Mr. Santos’ guarantors have been the subject of intense media interest and the House Ethics Committee, which last month demanded that Mr. Santos reveal their names so it could investigate whether the $500,000 bail bond was violated. of the rules of conduct of the House. gifts.
In papers filed in the Eastern District of New York on Friday, Mr. Santos’ lawyer, Joseph Murray, argued that Mr. Santos did not violate the ethics rules, citing an exception for those family member and means guarantees fall into that category. Mr. Santos argued that releasing the names of the individuals would subject them to attacks and harassment.
“The defendant essentially revealed to the public that the trustees were family members and not lobbyists, donors or others seeking to exercise influence over the defendant,” wrote Mr. unsealed.
I wonder how his appeal will be accepted before Judge Joanna Seybert.
Mr. Santos, a Republican who represents Long Island and parts of Queens, faces 13 felony charges including money laundering and wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty.
A group of media organizations, including The New York Times, requested last month that the identities of the people who guaranteed Mr. Santos’ bail not be sealed. The coalition argued that the names of those individuals were a matter of public interest, especially given Mr. Santos’ position in Congress and the possibility that the bail arrangement would be an inappropriate political gift. .
In a motion filed on Monday, Mr. Murray in a response he wrote to the Ethics Committee’s questions about bail, in which he pointed to House rules of conduct that allow gifts from family members. At the time, it was unclear whether he was referring to some or all of the sureties. In Friday’s motion, he was more specific.
Mr. Murray said he would not oppose a targeted unsealing that would prove to the public and House investigators that Mr. Santos family members, who would not fully reveal their names or exact relationships to Mr. Santos.
Although the insurers did not provide any actual money, they were on the hook for $500,000 if Mr. Santos escapes prosecution. And while the Ethics Committee has not issued specific guidance on bail bonds, experts have suggested the arrangement could violate House gift rules if the bail bondsmen are not relatives, spouses, relatives or in-laws.
Mr. Santos, 34, has a younger sister, Tiffany Santos, who lives in New York and supports her brother’s political career. Ms. Santos made his own headlines after donating thousands of dollars to his brother’s campaign despite owing tens of thousands of dollars in rent. Ms. Santos also serves as president of a New York State PAC called Rise NY, which Mr. Santos promoted and whose handling of funds has raised questions.
His father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., also lives in New York. In his son’s congressional campaign contributions, he listed his occupation as painter, construction or retired.
Mr. Santos’ mother, Fatima Devolder, died in 2016 after a battle with cancer. Ms. Devolder has focused on campaign biographies of his son, and many of his past claims about him, including ties to the Sept. 11, received significant scrutiny.
Mr. Santos also said she has a husband, whom she named in a 2020 interview as Matheus Gerard, and the two married in November 2021 on Long Island.
In his motion, Mr. Murray said again that one of the initial three trustees of Mr. Santos has dropped out amid intense media interest, and that he is in danger of losing the remaining two if their identities are released. If that happens, he argued, Mr. Santos “could be subject to more onerous conditions of release or could be subject to pretrial detention.”
