© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Rep. George Santos faces federal criminal charge

Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, during a joint meeting of Congress with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Capitol on April 27.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, during a joint meeting of Congress with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Capitol on April 27.

Just months after taking office, embattled Republican Rep. George Santos of New York has been charged with at least one federal offense, a source familiar with the investigation told NPR.

Details of the charges, first reported by CNN, aren't yet public.

The federal investigation into Santos' behavior has been handled by the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.

Before winning office as a freshman last November, Santos lied about his professional accomplishments, his education and his family's history.

Once the deceptions were made public, Santos faced growing controversy and calls for his resignation.

Critics have also questioned how he raised and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for his political campaign.

Phone calls to Santos' congressional offices and to his attorney went unanswered Tuesday evening. Santos also hasn't commented on Twitter.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., declined to say whether he would move to push Santos from office.

"I'll look at the charges," McCarthy said.

Santos, who represents communities on Long Island and in Queens, previously gave up all committee assignments because of the scandals he faces.

Santos, who has previously admitted to "embellishing" his resume, has repeatedly denied any criminal wrongdoing.

Separate probes are also underway by the Nassau County district attorney in New York and the House Ethics Committee in Washington, D.C.

A statement released by the House panel in April stated an investigative subcommittee will examine whether Santos "engaged in unlawful activity" during his 2022 campaign.

The Nassau County Republican Committee, which helped elect Santos, has since called on him to resign, as have some prominent GOP lawmakers from New York.

"Close to 80% of people polled think he should not be in office," Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., told NPR in February, after urging Santos to step aside.

"It's been an absolute distraction at a time when we should be rolling up our sleeves and getting to work," D'Esposito said.

NPR White House Correspondent Tamara Keith contributed to this report. contributed to this story

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Brian Mann is NPR's first national addiction correspondent. He also covers breaking news in the U.S. and around the world.
Carrie Johnson is a justice correspondent for the Washington Desk.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content