Disgraced congressman George Santos has reportedly pleaded guilty to one of many dishonesty charges against him.
The newly-seated Republican has reached an agreement with Brazilian prosecutors who are requiring him to admit to defrauding a Rio de Janeiro-area employee out of $1,300, according to CNN. Cable news outlets said they saw a non-procedure agreement for Santos to reimburse the retailer for clothes he bought with bad checks in 2008.
The congressman’s attorney reportedly petitioned prosecutors in January, arguing that his client, recently sworn in to the 118th Congress, was in gainful employment and “resocialized.”
Weeks earlier, Santos pleaded his case to the New York Post, insisting that he “absolutely” committed no crime in Brazil. The criminal investigation was reopened in January after Brazilian officials learned that Santos was serving as an elected US official, thanks to a successful campaign in which he lied about many aspects of his past.
The 34-year-old lawmaker, and, apparently, the breaker, walked away from his committee assignments with investigations into his conduct looming. saints office said in january the congressman would donate his $174,000 salary to charity on a quarterly basis.
His personal finances have been under scrutiny ever since a New York Times’ explosive story in December he refuted claims that he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. He also claimed to have graduated from schools he never attended.
Santos tweeted a clip from an unrelated article on Thursday, writing“I am very close to clearing my name and reputation very soon.”
He was widely mocked on Twitter for that comment, where several people remembered Santos he also allegedly used the assumed names of Anthony Devolder and Anthony Zabrovsky while trying to raise money. A drag queen in Brazil alleged that Santos used the alias kitara ravache while performing in drag shows, which he denies.
