Republican Congressman George Santos, who has been charged and temporarily arrested in the United States, has been summoned by the Brazilian judiciary to a video-linked hearing on allegations of fraud. The 34-year-old, of Brazilian descent, is accused of using a stolen checkbook to buy around $700 worth of goods from a clothing store in Rio de Janeiro in 2008.
The court hearing should be held behind closed doors. It was uncertain whether Santos would join the hearing, a court spokesman told the AFP news agency.
Notorious for lying on his resume, Santos allegedly stole a deceased elderly man’s checkbook and used it to shop. The case was initially put on hold because investigators were unable to locate Santos. Prosecutors then resumed the indictment after the politician was elected to the US Congress last year and his address was traced.
13 counts in the US
Santos faces 13 counts of fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives, according to US Attorneys. Santos pleaded not guilty at a first hearing in Central Islip, Long Island.
The congressional freshman was subsequently released on $500,000 bail. Santos described the ongoing judicial investigation as a “witch hunt” – a term that ex-President Donald Trump also regularly uses. The next court date for Santos in the United States has been set for June 30.
