By Luc Cohen
CENTRAL ISLIP, New York (Reuters) – A former fundraiser for indicted U.S. Representative George Santos has entered a guilty plea, the U.S. judge handling the case said at a court hearing on Tuesday, adding to the pressure on the embattled New York Republican.
Samuel Miele has entered a guilty plea, U.S District Judge Joanna Seybert said at a federal court hearing in Long Island. Miele had previously pleaded not guilty.
Miele was charged in August with identity theft and wire fraud for impersonating a top congressional staffer in fundraising appeals.
Prosecutors did not identify the staffer, but former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has confirmed media reports that said Miele impersonated one of his aides to elicit contributions to Santos’ campaign.
Santos, a first-term congressman, in May pleaded not guilty to federal charges of laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits, and lying to the House of Representatives about his assets.
He pleaded not guilty in October to an updated indictment accusing him of charging campaign donors’ credit cards without their consent and reporting a bogus $500,000 campaign loan.
A trial is set for Sept. 9, 2024. Santos has admitted to lying about much of his resume but has resisted calls for his resignation, including from fellow Republicans.
Miele is the second person close to Santos to plead guilty to federal charges in recent weeks. Nancy Marks, Santos’ former campaign treasurer, pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 to a conspiracy charge for inflating his 2022 congressional campaign’s fundraising numbers.
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware)
