George Santos Was Bailed Out by His Father and Aunt, Court Records Show

Of the many questions that surround Rep. George Santos, one has recently taken center stage: Who guaranteed the $500,000 bond that allowed him to be released from federal custody last month?

On Thursday, the mystery was solved, when the names of the two guarantors were unsealed and revealed to be two of his relatives: his father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., and his aunt, Elma Preven.

The disclosure put an end to weeks of speculation that was heightened by Santos’ vehement opposition to making his guarantors’ names public, as they are in most cases.

Dos Santos and Preven appeared in court last month to sign Santos’ bond, according to the unsealed court documents.

They did not have to put up cash or property to secure his release, but they told a magistrate judge they would be “personally responsible” for ensuring that he appeared in court and followed the conditions of his bond. If he did not, the guarantors would be on the hook for the entirety of the $500,000 bond.

Santos had said he wanted to keep their names secret to avoid exposing them to threats and harassment. News organizations, including The New York Times, asked the court to unseal their identities, arguing that they were a matter of public interest.

In one court filing, Santos’ lawyer asserted that the congressman — who awaits trial on 13 federal criminal charges — would rather go to jail than have his guarantors subjected to public scrutiny.

But Santos, 34, remained out of custody and did not seek to release the guarantors from their obligations, even after a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York dismissed his appeal to keep their names sealed.

In her order, Judge Joanna Seybert said Santos’ own actions had encouraged the frenzy, writing that his efforts to shield his guarantors’ identities, “notwithstanding the fact that he is aware their identities are not controversial, has simply created hysteria over what is, in actuality, a nonissue.”

Santos said on Twitter that he and his family had “made peace” with the judge’s decision and asked reporters to respect his relatives’ privacy. Dos Santos and Preven did not respond to requests for comment.

When making contributions to Santos’ congressional campaigns in 2020 and 2021, Preven said she worked as a mail handler for the Postal Service. Property records show that she owns an apartment in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens.

Dos Santos — whom his son has described as a Brazilian immigrant of Angolan descent — also lives in Queens, according to campaign finance records. He said when making donations to his son that he worked as a painter or in construction, or that he was retired, though he told the court last month that he was employed.

The identities of the guarantors attracted immense interest after reporting by the Times and other outlets exposed falsehoods in Santos’ biography and raised ethical questions regarding his personal and campaign finances.

Santos, a Republican who represents parts of Long Island and Queens, has admitted to lying about his education and work history. But he has not addressed other inconsistencies and has equivocated when asked about his business dealings and how they related to his political efforts.

Federal prosecutors accused Santos of orchestrating a scheme to solicit political contributions that he used for personal expenses; of fraudulently receiving more than $24,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while he was actually employed; and of knowingly making false statements on House financial disclosure forms.

Santos was charged with wire fraud, making unlawful monetary transactions and theft of public funds. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In addition to the criminal case, Santos is also facing an ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee. In a statement on Thursday, the committee’s top Democrat and Republican members said it was working on an “expeditious time frame” but also expanded its investigation to cover all of the charges in the federal indictment.

The committee asked Santos last month to disclose the names of his sureties so it could determine whether the bail guarantee violated House rules regarding gifts.

House members are very rarely allowed to accept gifts — a broadly defined category — from people outside their families, to avoid undue influence or the appearance of it.

Murray hinted at the guarantors’ identities in his response to the committee, saying Santos had not violated ethics rules.

Santos originally had a third guarantor, according to court documents. But that person, whose identity was not disclosed, “had a change of heart” and withdrew their support, Murray wrote in court filings, blaming the media attention surrounding Santos’ legal case.

Under his bond agreement, Santos, who is running for reelection, may travel between New York and Washington, D.C., but must obtain advance permission for other trips. The next hearing in his criminal case is scheduled for June 30.

This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/nyregion/george-santos-bail.html">The New York Times</a>.