OnPolitics: Rep. George Santos arrested, pleads not guilty to 13 charges

Hey there, OnPolitics readers!

It’s been a while since we’ve heard about New York Rep. George Santos. But he’s back making headlines this week.

The freshman lawmaker was arrested this morning following his surrender to authorities after federal prosecutors filed charges against him last night. Santos pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges filed against him during his arraignment this afternoon.

What are the charges?:  Santos faces seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of lying to the House of Representatives, according to the U.S. Justice department.

👁️‍🗨️ Rep. George Santos indicted. Read the charges here

What does this mean?: It's an escalation in the several legal and ethical probes into Santos since taking office, prompted by his outlandish fabrications about his personal and professional life. These charges aim to hold Santos accountable for numerous alleged "fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” said Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

And while it's not yet clear what this means for his tenure in Congress, it has renewed criticism of him by prominent Republicans, including Ed Cox, head of New York's Republican Party and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who has also called on Santos to step down.

👁️‍🗨️ Keep reading: Rep. George Santos pleads not guilty to 13 counts including fraud, lying to Congress

🚨 ICYMI: DOJ files charges against Republican lawmaker George Santos in federal probe

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