New York Times: Brazilian authorities intend to revive fraud case against George Santos - CNN

Washington CNN  — 

Law enforcement officials successful Brazil volition reinstate fraud charges against Rep.-elect George Santos, the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor’s bureau tells CNN, arsenic the New York Republican officially assumes his relation successful the US House Tuesday nether a unreality of suspicion implicit his dubious resume.

Prosecutors said they volition question a “formal response” from Santos related to a stolen checkbook successful 2008, aft constabulary suspended an probe into him due to the fact that they were incapable to find him for astir a decade.

Authorities, having verified Santos’ location, volition marque a ceremonial petition to the US Justice Department to notify him of the charges, Maristela Pereira, a spokeswoman for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor’s office, told CNN. The prosecutor’s bureau told CNN the petition volition beryllium filed upon reopening connected Friday.

CNN antecedently confirmed that Santos was charged with embezzlement successful a Brazilian tribunal successful 2011, according to lawsuit records from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice. However, tribunal records from 2013 authorities that the complaint was archived aft tribunal summons went unanswered and they were incapable to find Santos.

CNN has reached retired to a lawyer for Santos for comment. The reinstatement of the fraud charges was archetypal reported by The New York Times.

According to the Times, citing tribunal records it has reviewed, the transgression lawsuit stems from a sojourn Santos made to a tiny covering store successful Niterói, a metropolis extracurricular of Rio de Janeiro, wherever Santos spent astir $700 retired of the stolen checkbook utilizing a fake name.

In an interrogation with the New York Post past week, Santos denied that helium had been charged with immoderate transgression successful Brazil, saying: “I americium not a transgression present – not present oregon successful Brazil oregon immoderate jurisdiction successful the world. Absolutely not. That didn’t happen.”

Santos, who helped Republicans triumph a constrictive House bulk past twelvemonth erstwhile helium flipped a Democratic-held seat, is acceptable to instrumentality bureau connected Tuesday contempt admitting to lying astir parts of his resume aft The New York Times archetypal revealed that Santos’ biography appeared to beryllium partially fictional.

CNN confirmed details of that reporting astir his assemblage acquisition and employment past and uncovered adjacent much falsehoods from Santos, including claims helium was forced to permission a New York City backstage schoolhouse erstwhile his family’s existent property assets took a downturn and that helium represented Goldman Sachs astatine a apical fiscal conference.

Santos’ claims that his grandparents fled the Holocaust arsenic Ukrainian Jewish refugees and that his parent died arsenic a effect of being contiguous successful the South Tower during 9/11 person besides travel nether scrutiny, CNN’s KFile found.

In interviews with WABC vigor and the New York Post connected December 26, Santos admitted to lying astir attending Baruch College and New York University arsenic good arsenic misrepresenting his employment astatine Goldman Sachs and Citigroup but said astatine the clip helium inactive intended to service successful Congress.

Two days later, CNN reported that the US attorney’s bureau successful the Eastern District of New York had begun investigating the finances of Santos, who faces questions implicit his wealthiness and loans totaling much than $700,000 helium made to his palmy 2022 campaign.

The aforesaid day, the Nassau County territory attorney’s bureau announced it was besides looking into fabrications from Santos.

“No 1 is supra the instrumentality and if a transgression was committed successful this county, we volition prosecute it,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said astatine the time.

The territory attorney’s bureau did not specify what fabrications it was exploring and the US attorney’s bureau successful the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.

CNN has reached retired to a typical for Santos for remark connected the probes.

Santos’ FEC reports incorporate a fig of antithetic expenditures, including exorbitant expenses connected aerial question and hotels, arsenic good arsenic a fig of expenses 1 penny beneath the dollar fig supra which the FEC requires campaigns to support receipts.

“Campaign expenditures for unit members including travel, lodging, and meals are mean expenses of immoderate competent campaign. The proposition that the Santos run engaged successful immoderate unlawful spending of run funds is irresponsible, astatine best,” Joe Murray, a lawyer for Santos, said successful a connection to CNN connected Saturday.