Disgraced former US Attorney George Santos wants to delay fraud sentence so he can do more podcast episodes

NEW YORK (AP) – Former congressman George Santos has asked a New York judge to delay his sentencing on fraud charges until the summer so he can pay more than half a million dollars in fines for making more episodes of his newly launched podcast. “Pants on Fire.”

But prosecutors, in their responses on Tuesday, dismissed the New York Republican’s promises of financial gain as “highly speculative” and blasted the program’s title as “a speech that is tone-deaf and unrepentant of the crimes it has committed.”

They also questioned his claim that he had more than $1,000 in cash as they argued for the sentencing to continue as scheduled on Feb. 7.

Prosecutors say Santos, 36, has earned more than $400,000 from appearances on Cameo, a video-sharing website, and $400,000 from a new movie since he was ousted from the US House in December 2023. Santos was just the sixth House. member in the history of the chamber to be expelled by his colleagues.

His salary, prosecutors say, is more than the roughly $174,000 in taxpayer-funded salary he earned during his 11-month stint on Capitol Hill.

“His book fails to provide any statistics on his current financial situation; failed to provide any explanation for his spending of property (including personal money) in the months since his guilty plea,” prosecutors wrote.

Lawyers for Santos did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday.

Elected in 2022, Santos was a Republican star who grew up swinging an affluent New York district that includes parts of Queens and Long Island.

But his personal life unraveled even before he took office, with his claims of a job at a top Wall Street firm and a college degree dismissed amid questions about how he funded his campaign.

In August, he pleaded guilty to aggravated fraud and identity theft, admitting that he cheated voters, defrauded donors and stole the personal information of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to make donations to his campaign.

At the time, Santos blamed ambition for clouding his judgment and said he was “full of deep regret.” He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for identity theft and 22 years in prison.

As part of a plea deal negotiated with prosecutors, Santos agreed to pay about $580,000 in fines, including about $375,000 in restitution and $205,000 in forfeiture.

But on Friday, his lawyers asked the judge to postpone the sentence until August, noting that he must pay the forfeited money 30 days before his court date.

They said the weekly podcast he announced shortly after pleading guilty represented a “promising revenue stream,” but, due to “technical and operational constraints,” did not launch until Dec. 15.

“Mr. “Santos now has an efficient way to make meaningful progress in meeting its obligations, it only needs more time for the quarterly settlement structure to release sufficient funds,” his lawyers wrote.

Prosecutors, however, argued that Santos’ application did not provide details about the anticipated financial return.

They said his compensation, based on the audit department’s report, will likely include 50% of gross profits, to be paid within 90 days of the end of each calendar quarter – a provision that “makes it highly unlikely that Santos will receive sufficient funds to satisfy its restitution and forfeiture obligations through August.”

Prosecutors also warned that granting a delay would “create a perverse incentive structure,” where defendants who use their “bad and criminal reputations” are rewarded.

“Looked at another way, allowing Santos to avoid a conviction in order to cash in on his scandal will send a message to the public that crime pays,” they wrote.