(TheRedAlertNews.com) – In a new twist in the case of scandalous GOP US Rep. George Santos, his former fundraiser now faces federal charges for impersonating an aide to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
On Wednesday, 27-year-old Sam Miele was charged with four counts of “wire fraud and aggravated identity theft” in a scheme designed to deceive Republican donors into procuring funds for Santos.
According to prosecutors, Miele pretended to be a “high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities” – and he did that by using a fake name and email address.
While the indictment filed in a Brooklyn federal court didn’t disclose who was impersonated by the Santos aide, The Washington Times previously reported the identity theft victim was Dan Meyer.
Meyer, now retired, served as the long-time chief of staff of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), today’s Speaker of the US House of Representatives who was the House Minority Leader at the time of the Santos-related donor fraud.
“Mr. Miele is not guilty of these charges. He looks forward to complete vindication at trial as soon as possible,” declared Miele’s attorney, Kevin Marino.
Yet, according to US prosecutors, from August to December 2021, his client sent “fraudulent fundraising solicitations” to over a dozen prospective donors.
Miele signed some of the emails with Meyer’s full name and title, and he also created a fake email account using the latter’s first letter and full last name.
According to the indictment, Miele, who interned in 2018 for US Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), admitted to the fraud in a letter he sent to Santos last September.
He said he “fak(ed) my identity to a big donor” as he was “high risk, high reward in everything I do.”
George Santos’ fundraiser received a 15% commission on his raised donations. While the controversial Republican lawmaker doesn’t feature in his aide’s indictment, the federal prosecutors’ filing clarifies that “the facts in the case… tie in with” the wire fraud and money laundering crimes that Santos allegedly committed.
In May, Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 federal charges over alleged donor fraud and misrepresenting his finances to government institutions and the public.
His aide Sam Miele has now also pleaded not guilty and was released on a $150,000 bond.
Sam Miele, 27, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in an alleged scheme to defraud donors and obtain money for Santos. https://t.co/IZrQEVpQur
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) August 17, 2023
