Former Congressman George Santos Speaks to Reporters After Guilty Plea

TIME

Among the truest words to be written about George Santos came in an August filing from his federal prosecutors, who observed that since December, 2022, “when a New York Times article was published detailing apparent misrepresentations in Santos’s biography, Santos has effectively gone on a speaking tour.”  The final moments of that tour came on Monday, August 19, when Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Transcript

00:00It's been an extraordinary difficult period in my life, filled with self-reflection and

00:12regret.

00:13I've spent countless hours thinking about everything that's happened in my life.

00:19I arrived at this point in my life and I cannot tell you how, but I can tell you I should

00:25have done things differently.

00:27It's occurred to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions

00:34that were unethical and guilty.

00:38Confitting guilty is a step I never imagined I'd take, but it is a necessary one because

00:45it is the right thing to do.

00:47It's not only a recognition of my misrepresentations to others, but more profoundly, it is my own

00:54recognition of the lies I had told myself over these past years.

00:58It is a confirmation with these truths that have flooded me with deep regret for the choices

01:05I've made.

01:06I'm taking responsibility because I have to.

01:09There's no other way around it.

01:11To my family, friends, and supporters, and the people of New York's 3rd Congressional

01:15District, I offer my deepest apologies.

01:18It has been the proudest achievement of my life to represent you, and I believe I did

01:23so to the best of my abilities.

01:26But you also trusted me to represent you with honor and to uphold the values that are essential

01:31to our democracy, and in that regard, I feel guilty.

01:38I know that my actions have caused disappointment, frustration, and a loss of faith in me, and

01:43for that I'm truly sorry.

01:45Moving forward, I am dedicated to making amends for the wrongs I have committed.

01:50I understand that there are legal consequences to my actions, and I accept them fully.

01:55I hope that by facing these consequences head on, I can begin to demonstrate my commitment

02:01to change and to earning your forgiveness.

02:04I do not ask for forgiveness, as I know that that must be earned through actions, not words.

02:11I want to be a part of restoring the integrity that I helped diminish, and I will work tirelessly

02:17to regain the trust of those I have left behind.

02:21As I move forward, I am committed to living a life that reflects the values I should have

02:25upheld all along.

02:27Truth and integrity.

02:30I know that rebuilding trust will take time, and that my actions will always be a part

02:35of my history.

02:37However, I am determined to use this experience as a turning point in my life, one that will

02:43guide me to make better choices and to be an exemplary member of my community.

02:47A short time ago, after years of telling lies, former Congressman George Santos stood in

02:54the courthouse right behind me and finally, under oath, told the truth.

03:00And that truth is he is a criminal.

03:03Santos pled guilty to committing serious crimes involving fraud and identity theft.

03:09He also admitted to committing all other crimes he was charged with in the superseding indictment.

03:16As a result, he'll finally be held to account for his actions.

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