Global Courant
WASHINGTON – The father and aunt of Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., secured his $500,000 bail after being charged with more than a dozen federal counts last month, a source familiar with the case confirmed to NBC News Thursday.
The congressman’s father, Gercino Dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Santos Preven, were the guarantors of the bond. They were not required to provide any money up front – they are only required to pay if Santos violates the terms of his release.
Their names, first reported by ABC newswere confirmed minutes before a New York federal court released a document containing the family members’ signatures just after noon Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert had ordered that their identities be made public.
Santos’ lawyer had previously argued that unsealing the names of the co-signers would put them in a position where they would likely be “in dire need, could lose their jobs, and, God forbid, suffer bodily harm.”
On Thursday, Santos told reporters on Capitol Hill that he was keeping their identities a secret because he was concerned about their safety.
Asked if his relatives had the money to guarantee bail, Santos said: “Don’t you think that’s a little invasive? That’s exactly why I chose to keep their identities safe. My father is an honest working man, just like my aunt.”
Several media organizations, including NBCUniversal News Group, had asked the court to open and publish documents listing the names of the sureties, known as sureties.
