(5 Oct 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Central Islip, New York - 5 October 2023
1. Various of Nancy Marks exiting courthouse after guilty plea
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ray Perini, attorney for Nancy Marks:
"This man (George Santos) with his lies and manipulations has ruined many a life. Nancy Marks was a well-respected campaign treasurer, political operative, basically helped a lot of young clients, do a lot of good things. She meets him and with lies and manipulations, playing on her weaknesses, she had to admit to these crimes today. What he did to her was mentally seduce. But that's not a defense. Men and women who manipulate people for their own benefit some day will pay the price. Nancy paid the price for believing in him. And it's a dear price. She's given up her career, basically her reputation, and she has, you know, family and loved ones at home. She deeply regrets doing this, but she had the courage today to stand up to the lies and the B.S. and tell the truth. And she did that under oath. And you know what? She's going to put George Santos and what he did to her behind him and get on with his life behind her and get on with her life."
3. Wide of Perini exiting courthouse
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ray Perini, attorney for Nancy Marks:
"That count is he claimed that he was lending the campaign $500,000. He was supposed to put it into the account. When it was supposed to go in, he did not have the funds. There were excuses given. She posted it anyway. That's a crime. Because she believed in him."
5. Wide exterior of courthouse
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ray Perini, attorney for Nancy Marks:
PERINI: "We have a plea agreement. We have no cooperative cooperation agreement with the government at this time. That's why I'm going to comment on."
REPORTER: "But she will testify against George Santos?"
PERINI: "If we get a subpoena, we'll do the right thing."
++BLACK FRAMES++
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ray Perini, attorney for Nancy Marks:
"They were lies told. And that's not shocking when you talk about Santos, and manipulations done. And that's not shocking when you talk about Santos. She's a woman who's done this a long time, a good reputation. She did things wrong and has now admitted to it. And that's all she can do at this point."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
The ex-campaign treasurer for U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government and implicated the indicted New York Republican in court with submitting bogus campaign finance reports.
Nancy Marks, who was a close aide to Santos during his two congressional bids, entered the plea at a federal courthouse on Long Island, where she was a longtime political operative and bookkeeper for multiple candidates.
Speaking to the judge, Marks said that among other things, she and Santos had falsely recorded in campaign finance reports that he had loaned his campaign $500,000 even though in reality he did not make that loan and did not have the money to do so. She said the purpose of the fake loan was to make it look like he had a well-funded campaign, which might attract other donors.
Marks also said she had provided the Federal Elections Commission with a fake list of people who had supposedly given money to the campaign. The names on that list were real but the donations were not, and the people had not given her permission to use the names, Marks said.
Her plea agreement comes with a recommendation that she serve 3 1/2 years to 4 years in prison.
Outside the courthouse, Marks' lawyer, Ray Perini, said Santos “mentally seduced” his client.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
