Once a rising political star with a knack for storytelling—truthful or not—George Santos found himself in tears on Friday as a judge handed down a sentence that will define the next chapter of his life: 87 months in federal prison.
The former New York congressman, who was expelled from the House in a rare move, now faces over seven years behind bars followed by two years of supervised release.
“Where Is Your Remorse?”
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert didn’t hold back during the sentencing.
As Santos stood before her, sobbing, the judge questioned his sincerity and accountability.
“Where is your remorse?” she asked pointedly. “Where do I see it?” She went on to say that with Santos, “it’s always someone else’s fault.”
The 36-year-old had pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft—charges stemming from a long trail of lies, schemes, and financial deceit.
He was also ordered to pay more than $373,000 in restitution and forfeit over $200,000.
From Tall Tales to Criminal Charges
Santos’s story isn’t just about bad judgment or political embellishment—it’s about full-blown fraud.
Prosecutors painted a vivid picture of a man who built his life and career on lies, eventually turning to outright criminal behavior to support an increasingly extravagant lifestyle.
From lying about his education and career history to using campaign donations to shop at Hermès, the deception ran deep.
While his legal team begged the court for a minimum two-year sentence, prosecutors pushed back hard.
They argued that Santos had shown no real remorse and continued to mislead the public even after pleading guilty.
He faced a maximum of 22 years but was widely expected to receive between six and eight.
Still Fighting the Narrative—Even After Pleading Guilty
In the months between his guilty plea and sentencing, Santos didn’t exactly lay low.
Instead, he took to social media in a defiant tone, denying crimes he had already admitted to in court and attacking his critics.
At one point, he referred to the Department of Justice as a “cabal of pedophiles.”
He even denied using campaign funds for luxury items—despite solid evidence proving otherwise.
Prosecutors cited these actions as evidence that Santos hadn’t learned anything from his ordeal.
“Put plainly, Santos is not genuinely remorseful,” they wrote. “If he were, his actions would be different.”
Facing the Music—And Owning the Drama
On the eve of his sentencing, Santos posted on social media that he was “doing as well as any human being would be doing given the circumstances.” He added, “I will be in court tomorrow, ready to face the music.”
Speaking with the New York Times earlier in the week, he acknowledged the likely outcome: “My expectation is I’m going to prison for 87 months.”
His tone, however, was anything but apologetic. “I came to this world alone.
I will deal with it alone, and I will go out alone,” he said dramatically.
A Podcast and a Persona Built on Lies
Even after his congressional career collapsed, Santos found a new platform in podcasting.
In his show, titled Pants on Fire, he leaned into his now-infamous reputation, revisiting the many falsehoods he told while campaigning in 2022—from claiming to work on Wall Street, to playing college volleyball, to being Jewish.
But while the podcast might have seemed like a form of self-awareness or satire, prosecutors argued it was yet another sign that Santos wasn’t taking any of it seriously.
Lavish Spending and a House Ethics Report
The real tipping point came when a bombshell House Ethics Committee report laid out the full scope of Santos’s deception.
It wasn’t just a few tall tales—he had allegedly misled donors, faked campaign donations, and used political funds for Botox, luxury shopping sprees, casino trips, and even subscriptions to OnlyFans.
He also reportedly took $24,000 in unemployment benefits while holding a job and lied on official forms about his income.
His Defense? Free Speech and “Colorful Commentary”
In a letter to the judge ahead of sentencing, Santos claimed that his outbursts on social media were being unfairly used against him.
He argued that criticizing his punishment shouldn’t be seen as denying guilt and warned that punishing speech could have broader consequences for free expression.
He described his online commentary as “colorful” and claimed it was now being “repurposed as a sword against me.” But prosecutors weren’t buying it. They saw it as further proof that Santos wasn’t truly sorry.
What’s Next for George Santos?
Now sentenced and facing years in prison, the former congressman will begin serving his time while still owing hundreds of thousands in restitution.
Whether he continues his media presence from behind bars remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: George Santos’s stunning fall from grace is a story that’s far from over.