Former Long Island Rep. George Santos, who was recently expelled from Congress, is now attempting to negotiate his way out of jail in relation to a 23-count federal indictment against him. Court records reveal that Santos has been engaging in plea negotiations with prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York. The government lawyers stated in a court filing on Monday that the parties are currently involved in plea negotiations in order to potentially resolve the case without going to trial.

Santos, a member of the Republican Party, is facing serious charges including embezzlement, identity fraud, and more. If convicted, he could potentially be sentenced to over 22 years in prison. Santos has expressed his concerns about the possibility of going to jail and has stated his intention to work hard to avoid it. In an interview with CBS New York's "The Point," Santos mentioned his willingness to negotiate and find the best possible outcome for himself. He even expressed his openness to community service or some sort of plea deal that would spare him from serving time behind bars.

However, it's worth noting that back in September, while still serving as a member of Congress, Santos confidently declared that he would not accept a plea deal and vowed to prove his innocence. Nevertheless, prosecutors have accused Santos of various offenses, including unauthorized charges on donors' credit cards, stealing identities, lying to the Federal Election Commission, receiving illegal unemployment benefits, money laundering, and inflating his campaign's financial statements. Santos has attempted to shift blame onto his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in October. Additionally, a former Santos fundraiser named Samuel Miele has also pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Santos is currently scheduled to go to trial on September 9, 2024. However, prosecutors have requested to expedite the start of the trial to May or June. On December 1, Santos became the sixth-ever House member to be expelled following a damning report from the Committee on Ethics, which accused him of blatantly stealing from his campaign. Since then, Santos has reportedly been capitalizing on his political downfall by joining the video-sharing platform Cameo, where he records personalized messages for paying customers. Many of his messages feature pep talks where he emphasizes his "large personality." Apart from his new gig, Santos has also embarked on a revenge tour against his enemies, filing ethics complaints against several members of Congress.

In light of the recent developments, Santos's attorney, Breon Peace, stated in Monday's court filing that negotiations are underway to resolve the case. Santos is expected to appear in court on Long Island for a hearing on Tuesday. In a televised interview, Santos admitted that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of pleading guilty, considering the trial is months away. When asked about his fear of going to jail, Santos responded by saying that everyone should be afraid of it and that he will do everything possible to avoid that outcome.

Prosecutors have expressed their intention to seek an earlier trial date in case the negotiations fail to reach a resolution. However, Santos's lawyer, who did not respond to a request for comment, is opposing the request. The charges against Santos include defrauding campaign donors, lying to Congress about his wealth, illegally receiving unemployment benefits, and using campaign contributions for personal expenses such as luxury clothing. In October, Santos pleaded not guilty to additional charges of making unauthorized charges on credit cards belonging to his campaign donors.

Santos, once touted as a rising star in politics, saw his life story unravel before he even took office. Reports revealed that he had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a successful career on Wall Street, and a college degree, among other things. A special election is scheduled for February 13 to elect Santos's successor in the House of Representatives. The race is expected to pit former U.S. Representative Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat who previously held the seat, against one of several Republican candidates.