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Embattled New York congressman George Santos would rather go to jail than name the people who secured his $500,000 pretrial bond, his lawyer said on Monday.
News outlets have asked the judge in Santos's case to make public the names of the people who paid for his bond, citing overwhelming public interest and a need for transparency.
The stakes are high: one person was lined up to contribute to the bond, yet failed to show in court on the day, fearing the fallout from backing Santos.
Santos pleaded not guilty on May 10 to a 13-count indictment charging that he duped donors, stole from his campaign, lied to Congress about being a millionaire and cheated to collect unemployment benefits he didn't deserve. He is due back in court on June 30.
The 34-year-old, who represents parts of Queens and Long Island, has defied calls to resign and has said he won't drop his bid for a second term.
On Monday, Joseph Murray, Santos's lawyer, urged the judge to deny the request to unseal the names of Santos' bond suretors, or guarantors.
George Santos is seen speaking outside the Capitol on May 17, amid efforts to expel him from the House
Joseph Murray, lawyer for George Santos, is trying to stop the names of those who contributed to the $500,000 bond from being made public
