What’s next for George Santos? City & State readers think it’s federal prison

Remember when former Rep. George Santos was a member of the House of Representatives instead of just a sought-after figure on Cameo? Just before Santos was expelled from that august body, City & State asked readers to guess what the politician – who had already been exposed as a serial liar – might get up to next. 

More than 120 readers answered our very unscientific poll. The number-one answer by far was “federal prison,” which more than one-third of respondents picked. It’s a pretty safe guess given that Santos currently faces multiple federal charges of campaign finance fraud, credit card fraud, and the like. But there’s a slim chance that Santos could evade prison time. Federal prosecutors recently told a judge that they are in the process of negotiating a plea deal with the disgraced ex-congressman.

But what will Santos do once he’s released (or, less likely, dodges prison time altogether)? Many readers think he’ll pivot to reality TV: 14 guessed he would become a “guest host on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ and still more wrote in answers like “Dancing with the Stars,” “‘Real Housewives of Long Island’ cast member,” “the next Dragula winner!” and the generic “Reality TV star.”

A few readers thought Santos could make a return to politics. Seven respondents said he could be a future mayoral candidate and another reader aimed even higher, writing that Santos could be a “presidential candidate – he has all the qualities needed!”

Many other choices in the poll received few, if any, votes. Only three people voted for “Producer of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: 2 Spider, 2 Dark: The Movie” – a joke about how Santos once claimed to be a producer behind the Broadway show – and all three are members of the City & State newsroom.

Here’s a list of some of the best write-in suggestions we received:

• Botox spokesperson (3 write-in votes)
• QVC with his own line of facial products
• Using his fashion sense to help out in the prison laundry! Also maybe having his citizenship challenged because he failed to disclose criminal activity on his application
• *Brazilian* federal prisoner
• Donald Trump’s running mate
• Donald Trump’s cellmate
• Cabana boy at Mar-a-Lago
• Nobel Prize winner for curing cancer
• Time Square Robo Cop Escort
• Host of a YouTube channel called “Crimes of Fashion” sponsored by off-brand clothing lines
• Host of new Jerry Springer-like show
• Author - I am eagerly awaiting his memoirs, despite the fact we won't be able to believe a word of it
• Lobbyist – the last refuge of the scoundrel