George Santos seeking anonymous jury; govt wants campaign lies admitted as evidence as trial nears

NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is requesting a partially anonymous jury while federal prosecutors are pushing to admit as evidence some of his past campaign lies as the disgraced New York Republican’s September fraud trial nears.

Santos’ lawyers argued in court filings Tuesday that individual jurors’ identities should only be known by the judge, the two sides and their attorneys due to the extraordinary level of media attention around the case and their client. They said the publicity poses “significant risks” to “juror safety, privacy, and impartiality.”

Elected in 2022, Santos represented parts of Queens and Long Island, before becoming only the sixth lawmaker in history to be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives in December. He dropped a longshot bid to return to Congress as an independent in April.

“The extensive and largely negative media coverage, combined with the political nature of the case, creates a substantial risk that jurors could face harassment or intimidation if their identities are known, potentially compromising the fairness of the trial,” Santos’ lawyers wrote. “Additionally, the mere risk of public ridicule could influence the individual jurors ability to decide Santos’ case solely on the facts and law as presented in Court.”

Spokespersons for U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, whose office is prosecuting the case, declined to comment Wednesday.

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