Former US Congressman George Santos is expected to plead guilty to fraud

Former New York Congressman George Santos is expected to plead guilty to extensive fraud, according to US media reports.

Santos, who became the first member of Congress to be expelled in more than 20 years, is facing 23 counts related to fraud, money laundering and misuse of campaign funds.

The Republican denied the charge last year.

Santos is expected to appear in court on Monday in Central Islip, New York and change his plea, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner.

He was removed from the US Congress in December 2023 after charges and a bad character report.

The New York Republican became only the sixth lawmaker in history to be removed from the House, and the first since 2002.

His short time in office has been accompanied by a number of controversies, alleged lies about his past life and allegations of fraud.

He was accused of lying about his Wall Street job, college degree and Jewish ancestry. He was also accused of lying that his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and defrauding Amish dog breeders in Pennsylvania out of thousands of dollars.

The House Ethics Committee issued a scathing report accusing him of misusing campaign funds for personal gain.

The panel said she spent campaign money on Botox treatments, credit card debt, OnlyFans — a platform where users pay for content, including pornography — and a trip to the Hamptons beach resort in New York.