A former Congressional staffer working for embattled New York Rep. George Santos has been indicted on federal charges.
27-year-old Samuel Miele was charged for reportedly impersonating an aide who worked for U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
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The charges include aggravated identity theft and at least four counts of wire fraud, according to court documents.
The federal indictment was unsealed on Wednesday and lays out allegations by federal prosecutors of "fraudulent fund-raising" done over the phone and by email.
According to charging documents, Miele told people he was a "high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities."
Miele allegedly received a 15% commission for the campaign contributions he was able to secure.
The indictment didn't explicitly identify Speaker McCarthy or Rep. Santos, according to multiple reports.
Miele was arraigned on Wednesday in a Brooklyn federal court, where he pleaded not guilty and was released on $150,000 bond, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office.
In May, Santos' Communications Director, Naysa Woomer, resigned.
The departure of Woomer, a prominent Republican communications adviser, was the latest in a string of bad news for Santos, who was indicted on 13 counts, including fraud and money laundering, by Department of Justice officials.
Woomer previously worked for GOP Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Reps. Ryan Costello, Thomas Massie, and Tim Huelskamp.
"With respect for my colleagues, the people of New York, and most importantly, myself, I am honored to tender my resignation," Woomer said in an email.
Woomer said of the departure, appearing to direct the comment toward Santos, "Unfortunately, you never took one point of professional advice given."
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