George Santos Jokes About His Many Lies as He Reports to Prison for 7-Year Fraud Sentence: 'Was It Messy? Always' By Meredith Kile

George Santos is looking back on his “glamorous” rise as he turns himself in to serve out a prison sentence in New Jersey.

The disgraced former New York congressman was sentenced to 87 months in prison in April — or seven and a quarter years — after pleading guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was given the deadline of Friday, July 25, to report to prison and begin his sentence.

At his sentencing hearing inside a Long Island courtroom, a New York Times reporter said that Santos “covered his face and was sobbing” as U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert described his actions as “flagrant thievery.”

However, Santos put on a prouder face while penning his farewell post on social media on Thursday evening.

“Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed. From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news, what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days,” he wrote on X.

“To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press,” he continued. “I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit. Forever fabulously yours, George.”

Many of Santos’ friends and followers replied to the post, including Meghan McCain, who wrote, “Wishing you strength and light George. You will be missed. Please stay in touch if you can.”

Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Aug. 19, 2024, admitting that he had lied about his background and committed identity theft in order to bolster his congressional campaign. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $373,000 in restitution.

In a Justice Department filing from April 17, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham asked for a lengthy sentence for Santos, arguing that his “unrepentant” social media posts about his legal issues proved that he deserved a “significant carceral sentence.”

“Put plainly, Santos is not genuinely remorseful, despite accepting responsibility as part of his allocution,” Durham wrote. “If he were, his actions would be different. At a minimum, one would expect Santos to approach sentencing with a modicum of restraint so as not to undermine the attorneys who have advocated for leniency on his behalf.”

“Instead, however, Santos has reverted to form and approaches sentencing with belligerence and an insatiable appetite for ‘likes,’ blaming his situation on everyone except himself,” the federal prosecutor added in his blistering note to the court.

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The former congressman continued posting about his case, and his lengthy sentence, on social media up until he was to report to prison.

In a July 22 X post, he claimed, “Assistant United State attorney Ryan Harris along with all the prosecutors in my case and the FBI agents lead by special agent Kenneth Hosey all knowingly participated in an conspiracy to mislead the Judge in my case Joanna Seybert of the [Eastern] district of New York.”

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Santos pinned the actual blame for his admitted crimes on his former treasurer, Nancy Marks, who, along with another former campaign staffer, Sam Miele, previously pleaded guilty in connection with campaign financing fraud, admitting to charging donors’ credit cards without permission and filing bogus finance reports.

Santos made congressional history twice during his short time in the U.S. House of Representatives. After flipping his Long Island district red in the 2022 midterm elections, he became the first openly LGBTQ+ Republican elected to Congress.

Then, shortly after a damning House Ethics report came out just 10 months into his term, which found “substantial evidence” of wrongdoing and concluded that he “can’t be trusted,” the Republican-led House voted 311-114 to expel him from Congress, making him only the sixth House member ever expelled in the chamber’s history.

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During his criminal trial, attorneys argued that Santos had “made a mockery” of the U.S. election system.

“From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” they wrote.

Following the end of his congressional career, Santos launched a podcast, Pants on Fire, and sought commissions on Cameo and OnlyFans in order to pay legal fees and fines.