U.S. Rep. George Santos leaves the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on May 10, 2023.
Barry Williams | New York Daily News | Getty Images
The secret identity of Republican Rep. George Santos’ bail supporter in his federal criminal case will be revealed at noon ET on Thursday.
Scandal-plagued new New York MP Santos was arrested last month, charged with multiple crimes Includes money laundering and wire fraud. After pleading not guilty to all 13 charges, Santos was released on $500,000 bond secured by sureties whose names have not been publicly known.
The New York Times asked U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert to unseal the identities of the people, described in court documents as sureties.
The Times argued that the law upholds the public’s right to view the records, adding that “the interest in disclosure is particularly strong in this case” because the situation offers “clear opportunities for political influence”.
“The risk is further exacerbated by the fact that Rep. Santos is accused of a crime involving the abuse of the political process for personal gain,” the Times noted.
A coalition of news outlets, including NBC News, followed suit, arguing that “Rep. Santos cannot overcome the presumption of publicity under the First Amendment and federal common law.”
Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, urged the court to dismiss the requests, citing the “media frenzy” surrounding the case.
Murray wrote that the intense media coverage left the sureties “incredibly frightened and concerned,” even prompting one of the three to withdraw on the morning of Santos’ May 10 arraignment. The lawyer argued that if their names were made public, the sponsors could “suffer great pain” and face reprisals.
“My client would rather be in pretrial detention than subject these sureties to the inevitable consequences,” he added.
A federal magistrate judge sided with the news outlet but gave Santos time to appeal. His lawyer then asked Seibert if it was possible to find a compromise, such as disclosing that the guarantors were Santos’ family members without identifying them specifically.
But the judge ordered Tuesday night that “all previously sealed documents, including the bonds, will be unsealed to the extent that the names of defendant sureties are disclosed.”
The judge noted that if Santos’ remaining sureties decided to withdraw, he could modify the conditions of his bail.
Santos, 34, is accused of defrauding his campaign supporters, lying about getting unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic and making false statements on his congressional disclosure forms.
He faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Santos, who took office amidst the scandal in January, is the first openly gay Republican representative elected to Congress. He has vowed not to resign and is seeking re-election in 2024.
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