Source: Rep. George Santos facing criminal charges in New York

(NewsNation) — Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against embattled U.S. Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who has admitted to lying about his education and professional achievements during his 2022 campaign, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the matter.

The specific charges have not been revealed as they remain under seal, though Santos could appear in federal court as soon as Wednesday morning. Spokespersons for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York have declined to comment.

Soon after his 8-point win over Democrat George Zimmerman in November 2022, revelations came to light of falsehoods Santos circulated during his campaign — unverifiable claims about his work history, charitable contributions, education and family background.

After the inconsistencies in his stories came to light, Santos admitted in December to many of the lies, saying his “sins” were “embellishing” his resume. He also came clean about not receiving a degree from any institution, despite previously claiming he graduated from Baruch College in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance. The freshman congressman-elect refused to step down from his elected seat at the time.

Two days after Santos’ revelations, Long Island prosecutors opened a probe against the congressman.

Eventually, multiple agencies launched investigations into Santos and his campaign lies, including the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Queens District Attorney’s Office and prosecutors in Brazil.

In March, the U.S. House Ethics Committee launched its own far-reaching investigation into Santos to determine whether the GOP congressman broke any laws with respect to his campaign.

The first-time lawmaker was also faced with members of both the Democratic and Republican parties calling for him to step down. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney slammed Santos as an “embarrasment” for the GOP and slammed him for attending the State of the Union address and positioning himself in a central spot on the floor.

Santos has removed himself from committee assignments, but so far has refused calls from fellow New York Republicans to step down. He launched a reelection campaign for the office he currently holds, stating that he had a “clean conscience,” and that he would not have run again if he thought he had committed a crime.

Meanwhile, much of Santos’ voter base is also lining up against him, a February poll revealed. A 66% majority of voters, including 58% of Republicans, responded to a Siena College poll, saying that Santos should resign from the House of Representatives.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.