George Santos is expected to plead guilty in a federal fraud case

Former Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House last year amid a barrage of fraud allegations, is expected to plead guilty Monday as part of a deal to settle the wide-ranging federal indictment he faces. the case said.

Santos is scheduled to appear Monday afternoon in federal court in eastern Long Island for a preliminary hearing set by U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert. However, there are plans to use the hearing to allow the former lawmaker to amend his request, according to the person, who remained anonymous, to discuss sensitive details of the case that are not yet public.

A spokeswoman for the US Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the development, which was first reported by The New York Times. Santos’ lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Santos, 36, faced 23 federal charges, including fraud, lying on Federal Election Commission reports and lying on housing association financial records. Some of the charges stemmed from his alleged use of campaign funds to cover personal expenses, including plastic surgery and Botox injections.

It was not immediately clear what charge he would plead guilty to under a deal with prosecutors, but a trial is not expected if Seybert pleads guilty Monday, a person familiar with the case said.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin on September 9, with opening statements expected to take place a week later.

Santos was elected to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District in 2022, but before he was sworn in, reports began to surface that he had made up key details on his resume. Allegations of more serious fraud and business misconduct followed, prompting an investigation by the House Ethics Committee and several calls for him to resign. He refused and was impeached last December by a vote of 311 to 114.