'The party of law and order': Twitter explodes over 13-count George Santos criminal indictment

10 May 2023

Despite all the terrible publicity he has been inundated with, Rep. George Santos (R-New York) is seeking reelection in 2024. Santos' critics have been lambasting him for telling numerous lies during his 2022 campaign, and now, the embattled congressman is facing federal criminal charges.

According to CNBC, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted Santos on 13 criminal counts that include wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements. Santos surrendered to authorities on Wednesday morning, May 10.

After news of the indictment broke, it didn't take long for Twitter to be inundated with reactions.

Author Keith Boykin tweeted, "Donald Trump and George Santos, two indicted con artists, are now the face of the modern Republican Party."

Democratic organizer Jon Cooper remarked, "Happy George Santos Indictment Day to all who celebrate.

The group Reclaim The Records devoted an entire thread to the Santos indictment, arguing that it makes a strong case for transparency in government.

Reclaim The Records tweeted, "So here's a reminder that OPEN PUBLIC ACCESS TO MULTIPLE TYPES OF HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORDS played a big part in revealing and documenting some of his ...alleged... untruths."

NBC News legal analyst Glenn Kirschner, describing the charges against Santos, remarked, "Somebody is in deep . . . trouble."

Astronaut Terri Verts views Santos' legal problems as symptomatic of the GOP's overall dysfunction.

Verts tweeted, "America desperately needs a legitimate Republican Party (or a center-right alternative) without a continuous parade of clowns like Santos, MTG, and Boebert driving their agenda."

Never Trumper Travis Hill, @saulgoodson, described the charges as "probably the least surprising indictment in American history.

MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan, a scathing critic of the MAGA movement, sarcastically posted, "The party of law and order, folks."

CNN journalists Mark Morales, Evan Perez and Gregory Krieg note, "The freshman congressman, who was elected last year to represent a district that includes parts of Long Island and Queens, has been under investigation in multiple jurisdictions and by the House Ethics Committee. Top Democrats, joined by some New York Republicans, have been calling on Santos to resign over allegations ranging from criminal behavior on the campaign trail to petty personal dishonesty stretching back more than a decade."

CNN reports that Santos "has been accused of breaking campaign finance laws, violating federal conflict of interest laws, stealing cash meant for an Iraq War veteran’s dying dog, masterminding a credit card fraud scheme and lying about where he went to school and worked."

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) said he will wait to see if he thinks Santos should be removed from Congress.

McCarthy told CNN, "I’ll look at the charges."

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