Embattled New York congressman and accused fraudster George Santos returned to court after pleading not guilty to charges of defrauding campaign donors and misusing COVID-19 relief funds.
The disgraced representative returned to court on Friday, where he was greeted by jeering protesters who accused him of being a ‘dog killer.’
Santos, a Republican who represents parts of Queens and Long Island in the House of Representatives, became infamous when a New York Times report revealed he fabricated large parts of his resume and background.
In May, federal prosecutors charged Santos with seven counts of counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of lying to congress.
‘The allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself,’ said Breon Peace, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Santos pleaded not guilty to all charges, and called the investigation into his finances a ‘witch hunt.’
On Friday, he returned to court for another hearing for his trial’s discovery phase.
As he walked from his car into the courthouse, one protester shouted ‘dog killer!’ at the congressman.
The protester is believed to be Rich Osthoff, a disabled veteran who previously accused Santos of stealing money raised for his service dog’s veterinary care.
In the courtroom, Santos’s lawyers revealed they turned over more than 80,000 pages of documents during the discovery process.
Santos sat silently through the court proceedings. As he left the courtroom, he wished his prosecutors a ‘happy Fourth of July.’
The New York congressman is scheduled to return to court on September 7, just days before the next session of Congress begins.
Santos left the courthouse flanked by attorneys, carrying a miniature American flag. Osthoff could be heard in the distance again screaming: ‘You killed Sapphire George! You killed my dog!’
Santos did not acknowledge any of the protesters. He has not made any public statements since his appearance on Friday.
Santos continues to remain out of jail on bail.
He was released after his indictment when another party cosigned his $500,000 bond. Last week, the court publicly released his benefactors’ identities: his father, Gercino Dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Santos Preven.
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