Former Santos employee faces federal charges, reportedly confesses to fraudulent scheme.
Former Fundraiser Indicted for Impersonating Congressional Aide
A former fundraiser for Rep. George Santos has been indicted on federal charges for an intriguing scheme. Sam Miele, 27, is accused of impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide while soliciting contributions for Santos’ campaign.
Miele faces four counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors allege that he used a fake name and email address to pose as a “high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities.”
The indictment did not name the person who was impersonated, but the details of the charges match with multiple news reports identifying the aide as Dan Meyer, now retired as the longtime chief of staff to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who at the time was minority leader.
While Santos himself was not charged in the indictment, federal prosecutors noted that the case overlaps with the congressman’s alleged crimes of wire fraud and money laundering.
Miele pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a $150,000 bond. His attorney, Kevin Marino, did not immediately return a phone message. Meyer, the impersonated aide, did not respond to a request for comment, and Santos’ office also did not provide a comment.
According to federal prosecutors, Miele sent fraudulent fundraising solicitations to more than a dozen prospective donors between August and December of 2021. He even signed some of the emails with the aide’s full name and title.
In a letter sent to Santos last September, Miele admitted to “faking my identity to a big donor,” describing himself as “high risk, high reward in everything I do.”
Miele earned a commission of 15 percent for each contribution he raised, prosecutors revealed.
The indictment comes three months after Santos’ arrest on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to Congress. Santos has pleaded not guilty and has no plans to resign from Congress.
The case against Santos involves separate allegations of embezzlement, lying to Congress about his finances, and fraudulently obtaining unemployment checks. During his campaign, Santos fabricated parts of his life story, falsely presenting himself as a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker.
Editor’s Note:
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
The post Former Santos Staffer Brought Up on Federal Charges, Allegedly Admitted Scheme to Rep appeared first on The Western Journal.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...