Key takeaways:
- Samuel Miele, a former campaign fundraiser and vendor for Rep. George Santos (R-NY), has been indicted on four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
- The indictment alleges that Miele impersonated a top aide to House leadership while contacting donors for Santos’ campaign efforts during the 2022 election cycle.
- Miele allegedly earned a 15 percent commission on all donations he secured for the campaign, and was fired after Santos discovered the alleged impersonation.
A Brooklyn federal grand jury has indicted Samuel Miele, a former campaign fundraiser and vendor for Rep. George Santos (R-NY), on four counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that Miele impersonated a top aide to House leadership while contacting donors for Santos’ campaign efforts during the 2022 election cycle. The person Miele allegedly impersonated is believed to be the chief of staff to now-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York alerted federal judges in New York in a separate memo that Miele had been indicted over alleged efforts to “defraud donors.” The memo cited a September 2022 letter which Miele allegedly sent to Santos, in which he copped to “faking my identity to a big donor” while describing himself as “high risk, high reward in everything I do.”
Santos fired Miele after discovering the alleged impersonation. Miele allegedly earned a 15 percent commission on all donations he secured for the campaign.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet released a statement on the indictment. It is unclear if Miele has entered a plea or has retained a lawyer.
Be First to Comment