Judge rules that identities of George Santos’ $500K bail backers must be released  

A federal judge in Long Island on Tuesday ordered that the identities of the people who put up Rep. George Santos’ $500,000 bond in his criminal fraud case be made public on Thursday, a docket entry in the disgraced congressman’s case shows.

District Court Judge Joanna Seybert’s ruling comes after lawyers for the New York Republican argued that the individuals who posted Santos’ bond would be subject to “attacks and harassment” if their identities were to be revealed. 

The docket entry for Seybert’s ruling – which will also be unsealed Thursday – adds that Santos “may move to modify the conditions of his release” before Thursday “should the Suretors seek to withdraw from serving as suretors.”

Santos’ lawyer signaled in a June 9 filing that the two guarantors of the Long Island congressman’s bond are family members and it was “very likely” they would end up withdrawing as bond supporters if their names were unveiled publicly. 

The congressman’s attorney also signaled that Santos would rather go to jail than reveal who posted his bail. 

“My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come,” Joseph Murray, Santos’ attorney, wrote in a letter to US Magistrate Judge Anne Shields.

Santos, 34, pleaded not guilty last month to 13 counts, including embezzling $50,000 in campaign money for personal expenses, misrepresenting himself to donors, lying to Congress about his income and cheating to obtain COVID unemployment funds.

The freshman representative from New York’s 3rd Congressional District  was released on bond following an initial hearing. 

The following day, news outlets demanded that Seybert reveal Santos’ suretors, arguing the need for “the greatest transparency possible” and noting that the massive bail figure “presents an obvious opportunity for political influence.”

The lying Long Island rep has denied the Justice Department’s accusations and has ignored calls for his resignation, calling the indictment a “witch hunt.”