Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, left, leaves federal court after being sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Republished April 25, 2025 - 1:42 PM
Original Publication Date April 25, 2025 - 12:46 PM
Less than three years ago, George Santos was an up-and-coming Republican political star, flipping a House seat in New York City’s suburbs.
But he soon came under fire for lying about his life story, and on Friday, the now-former congressman was back on Long Island for a very different announcement: He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and theft.
Here is a timeline of his rise and fall:
Nov. 8, 2022: Santos defeats Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the first known congressional election featuring two openly gay candidates.
Dec. 19, 2022: The New York Times publishes a story questioning whether Santos fictionalized his resume.
Dec. 26, 2022: Santos admits fabricating some details of his biography, including that he had a degree from Baruch College and had worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Despite calling himself “a proud American Jew" in a position paper, he insists he “never claimed to be Jewish” but rather “Jew-ish.”
Dec. 28, 2022: Nassau County prosecutors say they have launched an investigation into Santos.
January 2023: Santos is sworn into office. Questions surface about how he financed his campaign after filings offer contradictory accounts.
Jan. 31, 2023: Santos steps down from his congressional committees but says he won’t resign.
February 2023: Revelations surface that Santos had been charged with stealing puppies in Pennsylvania in 2017 by using bad checks. The case was dismissed after Santos said the checks came from a checkbook that had been stolen from him.
March 2, 2023: The House Ethics Committee announces an investigation into Santos.
May 10, 2023: Santos is indicted and pleads not guilty to federal charges that he stole from donors and his campaign, collected unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve and lied to Congress about his wealth.
Oct. 10, 2023: A new indictment accuses Santos of stealing donors' IDs and making unauthorized charges to their credit cards. Santos pleads not guilty to the revised charges later that month.
Nov. 16, 2023: The House Ethics Committee says in a scathing report on Santos that it amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking, concluding flatly that he “cannot be trusted.”
Dec. 1, 2023: Santos is expelled by the House on a vote of 311-114, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required.
December 2023: Not long after being expelled from the House, Santos is found to be offering the public personalized video messages for up to $200 on Cameo.
February 2024: Santos sues late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, alleging Kimmel deceived him into making Cameo videos that were used to ridicule Santos on the show.
April 23, 2024: Santos drops his longshot, independent bid to return to Congress, a month after announcing his candidacy. His campaign committee reported raising no money in March 2024.
Aug. 19, 2024: Weeks before the case was to go to trial, Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, blaming his ambition for clouding his judgment and saying he was “flooded with deep regret.” The same day, a judge dismisses Santos' suit against Kimmel, saying the host's use of the Cameo videos for criticism and commentary was a fair use.
April 25, 2025: Santos is sentenced in federal court to more than seven years in prison.
News from © The Associated Press, 2025