Rep. George Santos (R-NY) pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds. He was released on a $500,000 bond after surrendering. Santos said he doesn’t plan to resign and intends to continue running for reelection. “I’m going to fight the witch hunt,” he said. “I’m going to take care of clearing my name," Politico reports. In a 13-count indictment, federal prosecutors accused Santos, a first-term member of Congress, of fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits, using campaign contributions to pay down personal debts and purchase designer clothing, and lying to the House of Representatives about his financial condition. His next court appearance is set for June 30.
Santos, who captured a Long Island swing seat last November, pioneered a new kind of political scandal by fabricating his entire campaign biography. His claims about working for Goldman Sachs, having Jewish ancestry and even running pet charities were largely untrue. Santos has claimed he merely embellished his resume but never did anything unlawful. Santos facies a House ethics investigation into possible “unlawful activity” related to his run as well as probes by the New York attorney general and two state district attorneys. Santos said only the voters could force him out, much to the displeasure of New York Republicans who view him as a stain on their party. House leadership has largely kept quiet about Santos, as he remains a crucial vote for their razor-thin majority. Typically, a member facing criminal charges would be stripped of committee assignments. GOP leaders noted that Santos has already lost his. “He was already removed from his committees,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) “In America, there’s a presumption of innocence. But these are serious charges. He’s going to have to face the charges.”