Rep. George Santos's (R-NY) former campaign aide was federally charged with wire fraud and identity fraud after he was accused of impersonating House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) former chief of staff to solicit campaign donations.
Samuel Miele, 27, was indicted in documents unsealed on Wednesday alleging that he solicited donations using a fake identity from over a dozen potential contributors two years ago when Santos was a candidate and trying to win his New York district.
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He is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft — the latter carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison if convicted. Miele pleaded not guilty at the arraignment on Wednesday and was released on a $150,000 bond.
The indictment stated that Miele claimed to be a “high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities," and he was behind "fraudulent fund-raising" emails and phone calls. Miele received a 15% commission from successfully obtained campaign contributions.
The documents did not list Santos or the House aide that Miele allegedly impersonated, but the New York Times and Washington Post have previously reported that Miele had pretended to be Dan Meyer, McCarthy's chief of staff when the speaker was Republican majority leader, to solicit donations.
McCarthy confirmed the reports in January, telling reporters that Miele was fired once Santos had learned of his actions.
"My staff raised concerns when he had a staff member who impersonated my chief of staff, and that individual was let go when Mr. Santos found [out] about it,” McCarthy said.
Miele had sent emails from an account using McCarthy's aide's full name and allegedly signed the messages using the person's official title, according to the indictment.
Kevin H. Marino, Miele's lawyer, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that his client is not guilty, and Miele “looks forward to complete vindication at trial as soon as possible.”
The same prosecutors who filed against Miele also filed against Santos, who was charged by the Justice Department in May with 13 counts including money laundering, wire fraud, theft of public funds, and false statements. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a $500,000 bond.
A judge released the names of the three co-signers to Santos's bail in June, showing that two of the three were his father, Gercino Dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Santos Preven.
On Wednesday, prosecutors advised the Long Island federal judge advising Santos's pending case to suggest that Miele and Santos's cases should be joined for efficiency.
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Santos became a controversial congressman after revelations that he lied about his educational background, credentials, and family history. He recently failed to file his annual financial report, for which he requested a 90-day extension, moving the deadline to Aug. 13. However, the report has still not been filed as of Wednesday.
House Democrats sought to oust Santos in mid-May, but House Republicans secured the votes to push the matter to the House Ethics Committee for an investigation. It is unclear at this time where the matter stands after the 60-day review expired before Congress adjourned for its August recess. Several representatives, including New York Republicans, have called on Santos to resign in the wake of his numerous controversies.