A former campaign aide to Rep. George Santos has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for impersonating a high-ranking House aide in the soliciting of funds for Santos’ 2022 campaign.
The aide, Sam Miele, used the false identity to obtain donations, and kept a portion for himself.
Miele also admitted to unauthorized credit card charges and now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
BREAKING: Sam Miele, a fundraiser for embattled Rep. George Santos, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with impersonating an aide to then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/66Pk2Q1EAL
— ABC News (@ABC) November 14, 2023
“I pretended I was the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in some telephone calls and emails with potential donors, including an email on August 19, 2021, which used interstate wires,” Miele wrote.
“I did that to help me raise funds for the congressional campaign I was working on.”
This comes after another aide, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty to falsely recording a loan.
Santos himself faces separate charges for wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements.
He has pleaded not guilty, and his criminal trial is scheduled for September 2024.
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