Rep. George Santos' ex-treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleads guilty to fraud conspiracy in connection with lawmaker's campaigns

Nancy Marks, the former campaign treasurer for Rep. George Santos and a behind-the-scenes fixture in local Republican politics for more than a decade, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a single count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with her work on the embattled congressman’s campaign.

The Shirley resident entered her plea Thursday afternoon before U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, admitting that she filed reports with both the Federal Election Commission and the Republican National Committee that included the names of false donors. 

Marks said she filed the fraudulent reports working with Santos to artificially inflate the amount of funds he raised to meet financial bench marks necessary to receive financial assistance from the national committee to meet the committee's goals. The campaign needed to report raising at least $250,000, according to court records.

"I did this knowing it was not true and the donors, who are real people, didn't give me permission to use their names," Marks told Seybert.

Under the conspiracy charge, Marks was accused of making a false statement, wire fraud, falsification of a record and aggravated identity theft.

Marks, 58, resigned as Santos’ campaign treasurer in January. The congressman blamed her for mounting questions about his fundraising and spending before his federal indictment in May.

Reached by phone on Thursday morning, Santos told Newsday he had “no comment” on Marks’ pending appearance or her plea.

Marks and Santos reported he lent his campaign $500,000 in 2022 knowing he didn't have the money to do so, Marks and prosecutors said Thursday. False reports were filed in both his 2020 and 2022 campaigns, Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Bagnuola said.

"Marks and the candidate agreed to and did falsely report that at least 10 of their family members had made significant contributions to the campaign," Bagnuola said.

 Emails and text messages from Marks and Santos are among the evidence indicating the conspiracy, court records show. 

Marks' defense attorney, Ray Perini of Hauppauge, said his client does not have a cooperation agreement with the government, but suggested she would testify if called upon.

"If they subpoena her, she'll do the right thing," Perini said.

Marks was "preyed on" by Santos into helping him falsify records at a vulnerable point in her life following the death of her husband, Perini said, adding that his client fell for the candidate's "lies and manipulation."

"Nancy Marks is a well-respected campaign treasurer and political operative," said Perini.

"She had the courage today to stand up to the lies, to the BS and tell the truth and she did that under oath," Perini said. "She's going to put George Santos behind her."

Marks, who appeared in court in a black blazer with a black headband and glasses, was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.

Seybert said Marks is facing a guideline sentence of between 3½ to 4 years in federal prison when she is sentenced April 12.

Santos attorney Joseph Murray, who sat in the back row of the courtroom, said he did not know if Marks would cooperate with prosecutors. He declined to comment further.

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Santos (R-Nassau/Queens), 35, is himself under federal indictment. In May, he pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he orchestrated a series of schemes while running for Congress, including ripping off political donors and lying on his congressional financial disclosure forms. He is due back in court later this month on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives as part of schemes federal prosecutors said began in 2020.

Samuel Miele, 27, a former fundraiser for the Santos campaign, was also indicted in August on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Miele is accused of impersonating a high-level congressional staffer in soliciting donations for Santos. He has pleaded not guilty and is due to appear before Seybert on Oct. 11.

Marks was hired to work as campaign treasurer for Santos beginning with his first campaign for Congress in 2020.  A company registered to her was also among the entities to create a political consulting company called Red Strategies USA, along with Santos. 

Marks has served on more than 150 Republican campaigns for 30 years, establishing herself over the past decade as a go-to campaign treasurer in Suffolk County and beyond.

Her firm, Campaigns Unlimited, which has the same Flintlock Drive address as her home, collected $1.29 million for work on Republican campaigns from 2008 to 2022 from state and local campaigns and $1 million from congressional campaigns since 2009, Newsday reported in February. Last year, she was also the treasurer for GOP governor nominee Lee Zeldin of Shirley, a longtime client.

Marks began her political career as an unpaid volunteer for then-Suffolk County Clerk Edward P. Romaine’s failed congressional run in 1992. Marks opened Campaigns Unlimited in 2008, state records show. By 2010, she began working on Zeldin’s State Senate campaign and attracting more clients.

Campaign finance records show Marks would solicit donations from wealthy Republican supporters to campaign committees, some of which operated from her Shirley address. The money would support campaigns that often hired her as treasurer and used other companies she created for printing and fundraising, the records show. 

By the close of the 2022 election cycle in November, Campaigns Unlimited worked for more than 40 candidates and political committees and took in $321,030.

Marks, who is also involved in civic causes in her hometown, was honored as recently as January for work for Colonial Youth and Family Services, a charity that seeks to promote physical, emotional and social wellness. 

With Michael Gormley and Laura Figueroa Hernandez