George Santos Fights to Keep Bond Guarantors' Identities Secret
New York Rep. George Santos has filed an appeal to keep the names of the two people who co-signed a $500,000 unsecured bond in his criminal fraud case sealed, after a judge ruled their identities should be made public. Santos' lawyer argued that the two guarantors were family members and it was "very likely" they would withdraw as bond supporters if their names were unveiled publicly, which could subject Santos to "more onerous conditions of release" or even pretrial detention. The judge's decision was a victory for news outlets, including The Associated Press and The New York Times, who had requested the names be unsealed, citing a need for "the greatest transparency possible."