A federal court revealed on Thursday that a $500,000 bond to keep George Santos out of prison was guaranteed last month by his father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., and his aunt, Elma Preven. Semafor reports that the elder Santos works as a house painter while Preven is employed by the United States Postal Service.
Earlier this month, a Long Island magistrate judge ordered that the identities of the guarantors must be revealed publicly, ruling in favor of a group of media organizations who filed a motion requesting their identities be disclosed in light of the public interest. Santos and his legal team quickly appealed the order, citing that his guarantors were his relatives and would be subjected to “attacks and harassment,” per NPR. But on Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that their names would be unsealed by noon Thursday.
In May, federal prosecutors unveiled a 13-count indictment against Santos including charges of wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements, and theft of public funds. The indictment alleges that the freshman congressman used a political consultant to solicit campaign contributions that he then used to purchase luxury designer clothing and make personal payments among other actions. He has also been accused of applying and receiving tens of thousands of dollars in pandemic-era unemployment benefits while employed by an investment firm.
Santos entered a not-guilty plea after surrendering to authorities and was released on bond. He was also required to turn over his passport and have any additional travel preapproved by the court. The congressman has consistently resisted calls to resign in light of his legal troubles and previously indicated that he intends to run for reelection in 2024. His next hearing is currently scheduled for June 30.
