Santos Bond Indictment Backed By Father, Aunt: Unsealed Documents

GLEN COVE, NY — A judge unsealed court documents related to Rep. George Santos' indictment. His $500,000 bail was covered by his father and aunt, it showed.

U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert order the identities of the co-signers for Santos' bond in his money laundering and wire fraud case released by noon on Thursday. Santos' lawyer sought to keep the identities hidden, Newsday said.

According to the documents, the co-signers are Gercino Dos Santos, the congressman's father, and Elma Preven, his aunt.

Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (D-Woodbury) said even though the money came from family, "a sitting member of Congress accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars raises serious ethical flags."

Lafazan, who ran in the Democratic primary last year from the 3rd Congressional District, added: "The big takeaway here isn’t that George Santos is an ethically bankrupt con man who can’t be trusted."

Santos pleaded not guilty to seven counts last month.