Rep. George Santos' father and aunt don't own property and were not required to post collateral, bond hearing transcripts show

The father and aunt of indicted Rep. George Santos, who backed the congressman's $500,000 bond in his money laundering and wire fraud case, do not own any property and were not required to post collateral to satisfy the congressman’s pretrial release, according to a transcript released Friday of a May 15 bond hearing in Central Islip.

But the 15-page document, released by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, indicates that Gercino dos Santos, the congressman’s father, and Elma Preven, his aunt, would bear personal financial liability, including damage to their credit rating and the ability to get a mortgage, if he violated the terms of the bond.

“There’s a danger if he doesn't comply with any of the conditions of bond,” Magistrate Anne Shields told the family members during the hearing. “First of all, it's a danger to him. He will and can be incarcerated. But more importantly for you two, you’re signing a bond that makes you two financially responsible. So it's not just about feeling badly about it.”

Santos (R-Nassau/Queens) pleaded not guilty in May to seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.

The first-term congressman allegedly orchestrated a series of schemes while running for Congress, including ripping off political donors, fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits authorized under COVID-19 even though he had a job, and lying on his congressional financial disclosure forms, according to federal prosecutors. 

Santos was released on the $500,000 unsecured bond at his May 10 arraignment in federal court in Central Islip.

At the time, the identities of the suretors were sealed by the court at the request of Joseph Murray, Santos’ defense attorney, who argued that they would face harassment if their names were made public.

News organizations, including Newsday, asked the judge to unseal the identities, citing the right of public access to court proceedings. Members of the media, along with the House Committee on Ethics, had questioned whether the co-signers were lobbyists or others possibly seeking to improperly influence the congressman. 

But U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert directed the names to be released.

In an order that was unsealed Thursday, Seybert wrote that Santos’ “continued attempts to shield the identity of his Suretors, notwithstanding the fact that he is aware their identities are not controversial, has simply created hysteria over what is, in actuality, a nonissue,"

In a statement Thursday, Santos said "my family and I have made peace with the judge’s decision to release their names. Now I pray that the judge is correct and no harm comes to them. I look forward to continuing this process and I ask for the media to not disturb or harass my dad and aunt for the sakes [sic] of cheap reporting."

In the bond transcript, Santos' father described the relationship with his son as "cordial" and said he sees him once every month and a half. Preven said she has a "good relationship" with her nephew, "even though I don't speak with him on a regular basis."

Dos Santos could not be reached Thursday. Preven did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Shields encouraged Dos Santos and Preven to check in periodically with the congressman to ensure he is following the agreement.

"It's not always about money," Shields said. "It's about how well you know someone, whether you can exercise a certain amount of control or moral control over the person so that they understand what you are doing for them."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Bagnuola added that "since you're putting your own financial situation and your own reputation at stake, it's important for you to hear from me our goal is not to trick him or to trap him, or to lure him somewhere so that we can get him into trouble."

Santos, who won the 2022 election for New York's 3rd Congressional District covering parts of Nassau and Queens, took office in January under a cloud of scandal.

He admitted lying about many aspects of his personal and professional history after The New York Times reported there were no records of him working for financial institutions where he claimed to have been employed or attending the colleges he had claimed to have graduated from. 

Santos is due back in court in Central Islip on June 30.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.