Rep. George Santos Criminally Charged By Federal Prosecutors: CNN

Criminal charges have been filed against Rep. George Santos by federal prosecutors, according to an exclusive report from CNN. The charges are under seal but the embattled New York Republican is expected to be in court as soon as Wednesday in New York’s eastern district, CNN reported.

The exact charges were not immediately known.

Patch reached out to Santos' office for a comment, but we did not immediately hear back.

Nassau County Legislator Joshua Legislator (D-Syosset) was quick to call for Santos' expulsion from the House.

"There is now no further excuse to keep Santos in the House," Lafazan said in a statement. "This federal indictment confirms what we have known all along - that Santos broke the public trust, and violated federal law in the process."

A decision to remove the freshman lawmaker would start with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who told CNN, "I'll look at the charges."

One of Santos' Long Island colleagues, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-Island Park) said he's "confident the justice system will fully reveal Congressman Santos' long history of deceit, and I once again call on this serial fraudster to resign from office."

Another member of the House, New York Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), tweeted upon hearing the report: "Long overdue."

Peter King, who retired from political life in 2021 after serving Long Islanders for nearly 30 years in the House, told Patch: "George Santos is a serial liar. He does not belong in Congress. It is essential that the Justice Department fully investigate Santos. An indictment, however, while a step forward is only an allegation. It is important the process move forward."