Washington — Rep. George Santos, Republican of New York, filed an 8-page appeal Friday in search of to maintain sealed the names of those that helped him make the $500,000 bond in his federal criminal fraud case.
Submitting the submitting simply earlier than the midday deadline, Santos’ attorneys argue that the individuals who helped him publish the bond would seemingly should withdraw from serving as his bond supporters if their names are launched. This, Santos says, might pressure him into pre-trial detention or impose upon him onerous launch situations.
The court docket submitting features a passage stating that Santos “has basically publicly revealed that the suretors are members of the family and never lobbyists, donors or others in search of to exert affect over the Defendant.”
Santos’s subsequent court docket look is scheduled for June 30, however the choose might rule on whether or not to launch the unsealed information at any time.
The federal choose in New York granted a request from media organizations to make public the identities of three people who signed the bond for Santos’ launch after his indictment, however mentioned their names ought to stay hidden for now to permit him to attraction. The consortium of media organizations sought the unsealing of the information, citing First Modification and customary legislation rights of entry to the data.
Courtroom filings present that the Home Ethics Committee, which is investigating Santos, has additionally requested the identities of the people who helped him make bond. Santos’ authorized crew has not offered the information of who helped guarantee his bond to the Ethics Committee.
Santos was launched on Might 10 on a $500,000 bond, after he was indicted on 13 federal legal counts, together with fraud.
He has pleaded not responsible to the indictment, which incorporates seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of cash laundering, two counts of creating materially false statements to the Home of Representatives and one rely of theft of public funds.
If convicted, Santos faces as much as 20 years in jail for probably the most critical expenses.
