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Ex-Rep. George Santos says death threat has left him in solitary confinement at N.J. prison

The former congressman called the unit “hell on earth” and says the FBI is looking into an alleged plot to kill him

George Santos

FILE - Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for sentencing, April 25, 2025, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, file)

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

By Chris Sheldon
nj.com

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Disgraced GOP Congressman George Santos is in solitary confinement after he received a death threat at FCI Fairton in Cumberland County, he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Santos talked about the incident in a handwritten letter to the South Shore Press , which the publication posted on social media and which he retweeted.

“My day had already had an odd start with an e-mail from my lawyer telling me that an investigative reporter with Project Veritas had reached out to him with information that there were people plotting to kill me in prison,” Santos wrote.

That incident happened on Aug. 28 , he said.

“Like the many countless other threats I’ve received before, I ignored it and prompted him to set up a legal call so we could speak,” he said. “Well, like the good former cop he is, he ignored me and notified the facility warden, and alas, panic started.

“The officers that hauled me are with SIS, and they handle investigations, due to the threats, they informed me that I was going to go to the Special Housing Unit (SHU) for my own safety,” Santos continued.

He said he would remain there for 30 days from Aug. 29 “at a minimum” while the FBI investigates the threats.

Santos, 36, began his seven-year prison term in July after he was sentenced in April. He had pleaded guilty last year to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, admitting that he deceived donors and stole the identities of dozens of people to fund his congressional campaign. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to pay penalties totaling around $580,000.

Santos, 36, served in Congress for less than a year before, in December 2023 , he became just the sixth member of the House to be ousted by his colleagues. The 311-114 vote followed an ethics report on his conduct, which raised concerns among lawmakers.

In his letter, Santos critiqued the conditions inside the “extremely dirty” SHU and called the prison itself “hell on earth.”

“So you all can understand my situation, the Box I’m in, as I said, is 15x17 ft, extremely dirty with no ventilation, with musty, dirty air, and my only source of drinking water comes from the top of my toilet,” he wrote.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons could not immediately be reached for comment.

In April, Santos called on President Donald Trump to use his pardon power to keep him out of jail, but there has been no movement from the White House on that request.

In his letter, he again asked for the president’s help in getting out of prison.

“The only hope I have is that President Trump will see this and take me out of this horrid situation and let me go back to my family,” Santos wrote.

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