George Santos' lawyers argue identities of 3 people who secured his $500K bail should remain sealed

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Defense attorneys for Rep. George Santos, Republican of New York, filed a motion under a court-imposed deadline Monday night, arguing the court should keep sealed the records identifying the three people who helped him make the $500,000 bond in his federal criminal fraud case. Federal judge Anne Y. Shields had ordered Santos to respond by Monday at 5 p.m. to court motions by media outlets who have asked to unseal records showing the identities of the three individuals.

His defense argues the three people who helped provide Santos' bond "are likely to suffer great distress, may lose their jobs, and God forbid, may suffer physical injury." "There is little doubt that the suretors will suffer some unnecessary form of retaliation if their identities and employment are revealed," Santos' motion also said. It closed with the declaration, "My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come."

According to new court filings in Santos' case, the House Ethics Committee, which is investigating Santos, has also requested the identities of the individuals who helped him make bond.

Shields released Santos on May 10 on $500,000 bond, after Santos was indicted on 13 federal criminal counts, including fraud. Court filings said three people helped Santos secure the bond, but their identities have remained under seal. The judge ordered Santos to respond to requests to reveal the identities of the three individuals last week, but his defense attorneys requested and received a delay to do so until Monday. The judge's order specified that there would be "no further extensions of time" for Santos to respond.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-santos-court-deadline-reveal-3-people-who-secured-500k-bail/

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Saw when the response finally showed up on the docket and was waiting for McFarlane to write it up. I suppose it's up to the judge now.

[Drum]

1. *Not compelling* rationale!

[Beachnutt]

2. NO FURTHER EXTENSION OF TIME,

What does that mean ?

[onenote]

14. That was in response to Santos asking to have until Monday, instead of Friday, to file a response

to the motion from the media companies for release of the names.

[SouthernDem4ever]

3. ok, revoke the bail and lock his ass up until trial

who gives a shit about the idiots that were stupid enough to post bail for a GD liar, cheat, lawbreaker. I have no doubt it will be a quid pro quo from him to his bail benefactors. Sickening!

[Quakerfriend]

4. Omg, unbelievable!!

Publish the names NOW!

[MissMillie]

44. the name would have been published when the bail was posted...

if it had been George Soros.

[LakeArenal]

5. He's a US Representative now. No secret donors .

[Hugh_Lebowski]

6. I'm ambivalent on this one ...

Would these facts normally be a matter of public record? If so, then fuck him, hand it over.

If not, then I'd (unfortunately given I hate this asshole) have to say ... it's at minimum a fair case to make. May not really be the media or the public's business.

The House Ethics committee (or perhaps the DOJ) is a different matter.

And then there's the question of whether it might properly fall under FOIA given his position, which I'm not sure on.

[onenote]

17. FOIA doesn't apply to Congress or the Courts.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

24. Bail is set by a judge ...

But 'who paid bail' essentially has zero to do with the case being heard in court itself.

Ergo I wondered if a journalist could request the record of who paid under FOIA.

If it can't apply here, then so be it

[onenote]

29. Who would the FOIA request be directed to if not the court

And the court isn't subject to FOIA.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

36. I don't know, like I said, if it's not, it's not ...

I was hoping there was some legal basis for the media asking for the information.

Not sure what it would be if not FOIA

[LiberalFighter]

7. May lose their jobs? Really?

[WA-03 Democrat]

8. Putin won't lose his job

Crow and Musk will be okay. I don’t see this as an issue

[MLAA]

22. Exactly

[Roy Rolling]

9. Easy Fix

Santos lawyers: My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come."


Surrender your client for detainment.

[sheshe2]

15. Yep.

Lock him up!

[2naSalit]

45. +1

Only rational thing to do.

[maxsolomon]

10. My best guess at 2 of them:

Santos, 34, helped Long Island car dealer Raymond Tantillo purchase the 141-foot boat from Mayra Ruiz, a Miami-based Republican donor, with a $12.25 million down payment and a further $6.5 million to be paid in installments, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

So:
Raymond Tantillo
Mayra Ruiz
?

[Quakerfriend]

13. Good call. -Could be.

I’m guessing a Russian.

[PortTack]

19. Kevin McCarthy or some other corrupt member of the gqp congress

[2naSalit]

46. Or one of their donors...

Some slush fund in some secret stash somewhere. I'm so done with all of this shit.

[maxsolomon]

47. Very unlikely.

McCarthy wants Santos at arm's length.

[ZonkerHarris]

11. Nothing is more American than keeping a half million dollar bribe a secret from the public.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

26. Not really a 'bribe' as such ... whoever posted it will get their money back

when Santos shows up and faces charges.

Obviously it has intrinsic value, but it's really not a $.5M dollar 'bribe'.

There's no path in which Santos gets that money directly

[bottomofthehill]

28. If you don't have the money, then you do have the money, it's a bribe.

They may get their money back, but he owes them big. Really big.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

35. I'm just disputing assertion of the $$$ value to Santos being equivalent to the amount posted

And the fact that it doesn't become a bribe ... until the politician receiving it actually does shifty shit to benefit the person that helped them with bail.

[ZonkerHarris]

32. The money gives him a benefit

[Hugh_Lebowski]

34. Okay, but is it of the scale of $500,000 being handed to him in exchange for illegal services?

Which is what 'a half-million dollar bribe' implies.

[PSPS]

39. Yes, it is a bribe. They're paying to retain his house vote on legislation they want passed.

[Skittles]

12. WTF

HOW is this not public information????

[live love laugh]

50. Wonder if they are trying to apply irrelevant campaign finance laws.

I can’t think of anything else that would apply but of course I know very little about the law.

[onenote]

16. There is a rebuttable presumption that the identity of those putting up bail is public

But, the presumption can be overcome. The relevant factors include but are not limited to (i) "the danger of impairing law enforcement or judicial efficiency" and (ii) "the privacy interests of those resisting disclosure," including the "nature and degree of injury" resulting from he disclosure of the identities of those putting up bail.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Here is a link to the docket

the latest at the bottom - https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67358443/united-states-v-devolder-santos/

[barbtries]

20. fine. lock him up.

i hope the judge denies the motion.

[bluestarone]

21. My guess is Marjorie Green and

Some of her friends!

[gab13by13]

23. Isn't one of the Kochs still alive?

[AllyCat]

25. Excellent! Good idea George! Go back to jail to

Protect your suretors.

[Cha]

27. Bullshit.. "may lose their jobs".

[Crowman2009]

43. Well if they can easily come up with $500k, then they probably don't need said jobs.

They probably live on inherited wealth, so f*** em'!

[Cha]

51. Exactly.. or are the Boss.. Hello!

".. lose their jobs..".. smh

[eggplant]

30. Wait, it's UNSECURED bond.

The three backers didn't even have to pony up the cash, just sign a promise to make good on it if he vanishes. WTAF?

[former9thward]

31. This is not unusual.

Happens all the time with bail.

[orleans]

33. so did the judge go to bed???

sleeping on it??

wth....

[onenote]

41. The plaintiffs are entitled to file a reply. No one should have expected a ruling yesterday.

The motion for disclosure of the bail sources was made by a group of news organizations. Santos filed his opposition to the motion last night. The news organizations can, and presumably will, be filing a reply.

Not sure the judge deserves snark.

[orleans]

48. thanks onenote. i guess i was just putting the cart before the horse nt

[pecosbob]

37. Jack Guo would be on my short list.

[Snooper9]

38. he is such a sad fuck, you almost have to feel sorry for him

but....

NAH LOL

[bucolic_frolic]

40. Keeping their crimes secret is a Republican thing .nt

[TigressDem]

42. So he's afraid that tRUMP is mad at him for stealing coverage?

Because DEMs aren't the ones out shooting people up.

OUR President doesn't go on social media and publish names and addresses of people who are just doing their jobs or making choices.

EVEN when Congress is holding the Country and the WORLD hostage with theatrics, OUR President IS AN ADULT and acts like it.

FOR US on the Left, seeing you go to prison for your crimes is enough.

NOW if these people have violated ethical standards or stolen the money.... they might face the justice system as well... ESPECIALLY if ALL 3 names are MORE aliases for YOU George Santos.

That is MY bet.

[Novara]

49. Well, THIS could be arranged:

"My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come."