WASHINGTON — The father and aunt of Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., guaranteed his $500,000 bond after he was charged last month with more than a dozen federal counts, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News on Thursday.
The congressman’s father, Gercino Dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Santos Preven, were the suretors for the bond. They did not have to provide any money upfront — they are only obligated to pay if Santos violates the terms of his release.
Their names, first reported by ABC News, were confirmed minutes before a federal court in New York released a document just after noon Thursday showing the family members’ signatures.
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert had ordered that their identities be made public.
Santos’ lawyer had previously argued that unsealing the names of the co-signers would put them in a position in which they’d likely “suffer great distress, may lose their jobs, and God forbid, may suffer physical injury.”
On Thursday, Santos told reporters on Capitol Hill that he kept their identities secret because he was concerned about their safety.
Asked if his family members had the money to guarantee bond, Santos said, “Don’t you think that’s a little invasive? That’s exactly the reason that I chose to keep their identities secure. My dad is an honest working man, as is my aunt.”
Several media organizations, including NBCUniversal News Group, had requested that the court unseal and make public documents with the names of the bond guarantors, known as suretors.
