(VitalNews.org) – Travel restrictions on disgraced Republican Rep. George Santos of New York were eased by a federal judge on Wednesday, allowing Santos to venture further out from Washington, D.C., than initially permitted.
The request made by Joseph Murray, Santos’ lawyer, was granted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Shields. Santos can now travel up to a 30-mile radius of Capitol City.
The congressman was federally indicted in May on 13 counts, seven of which are for wire fraud, three for money laundering, two for lying to Congress, and one for stealing public funds. Santis pleaded not guilty on every charge. Two family members then cosigned to bail him out with a bond of $500,000.
Santos was released under the conditions of surrendering his passport and only being permitted to travel to Long Island, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Any other travel inside the U.S. would require the government and Pretrial Services to be given advanced notice.
Santos’ lawyer told Judge Shields that his client was requesting a change to his bail conditions in “good faith.” Murray argued that because of the “small geographical area” of D.C. Santos ends up frequently having to travel outside the area “for usual and customary functions” that are normal for someone living and working in D.C.
The attorney added that “unnecessary notifications” to the Pretrial Services and the government could be “remedied” by simply expanding the area the congressman is permitted to move within. Murray’s letter also informed the judge that both the government and Pretrial Services didn’t object to Santos’ request, so Shields approved the modification.
Since his election as a representative of the 3rd Congressional District of New York, Santos, and his past have been heavily scrutinized. It all started after a New York Times article in December 2022 raised concerns about the congressman’s resume and biography.
During the arraignment of Santos in May, his attorney also said that the congressman would need the freedom to attend fundraisers and events for Santos’ re-election campaign.
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