We're now concluding our live coverage of the arrest and arraignment of Congressman George Santos.

We'll be back with more as the case unfolds in the coming months.

Our reporters were Madeline Halpert, Emily McGarvey, Max Matza and our coverage was edited by Marianna Brady and Brandon Livesay.

It's been a busy day for New York Congressman George Santos.

Here's the latest:

• Federal arrest documents released Wednesday morning reveal charges against him ranging from wire fraud to theft of public money to fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic
• At an arraignment hearing in his Long Island district, he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was ordered to surrender his passport
• He was released on a $500,000 bond, and is allowed to continue campaigning for re-election in Washington DC and New York
• His next court appearance is scheduled for 30 June
• The first-term Republican faces up to 20 years in prison

Read more here: Embattled congressman surrenders to authorities

Image source, Reuters

Concluding a hectic news conference outside court, Santos defended his innocence and remarked that this investigation "has been an experience for a book sometime, maybe."

He told the crowd several times that he believes he is innocent and will vigorously defend himself against the charges.

Santos told reporters that the government has received bad information about this employment history.

"Like I said, my employment was changed during the time," he said, adding that there has been some confusion on the part of prosecutors.

"I have plenty of evidence that we will now be sharing with the government in this case."

He asked voters to look at his voting record on Capitol Hill, and not his past history of making false statements.

"I want to be judged by the work I do in the body, and I am committed to that."

He added that he will not resign, telling the crowd: "I'm going to fight my battle."

Image source, Reuters

Santos has just left the courthouse and has immediately been mobbed by reporters - he is speaking now. You can stream live at the top of this page.

Several of his constituents yelled "liar" at him.

"This is the beginning for me to address and defend myself.

I have been complying throughout this entire process," he continued.

We've just heard an update from the lawyer representing George Santos.

Joseph Murray told CBS his client is "not running from anything" and is "finally getting to address" all the allegations made against him.

Murray said Santos will "absolutely" be running for re-election and the bond allows for him to travel for election purposes, so long as he tells the court about it.

The lawyer said he expects Santos back in Washington, where the congressman has votes to cast.

Murray also said they waved the right to a speedy trial to give both legal teams time to prepare. He said the defence "wants to share information they believe [the prosecution] doesn't have".

Image source, Reuters

The arraignment hearing, in which Santos pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, lasted about 15 minutes.

Santos spoke once during the hearing to tell the judge "yes, ma'am", according to the Associated Press.

His lawyer told the news agency that he plans to continue his campaign for re-election as he fights the charges.

Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms, so Santos is up for re-election in 2024.

Santos will be released pending trial after paying a bond of $500,000 (£400,000), the judge has ordered.

The identities of the three people that paid for his bond have not been made public, according to US media.

He will be required to remain in New York and Washington DC, and is permitted to travel between the two locations, though he surrendered his passport.

His next court appearance is scheduled for June 30.

Santos faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

In a packed federal courthouse in Long Island, New York, George Santos pleaded not guilty to the 13 charges against him.

Santos, who is accused of using campaign funds to finance his lifestyle, wore an olive sweater and navy blazer to court, according to the New York Times.

We're still waiting for George Santos to appear in court.

The Republican congressman has been charged with 13 counts. Here's what each of them alleges:

• Counts one through five: wire fraud - Santos allegedly sent emails and texts falsely claiming that money raised would be used for his campaign
• Counts six through eight: unlawful monetary transactions over $10,000 - on three separate occasions, Santos allegedly transferred more than $20,000 of funds into his bank account
• Count nine: theft of public money - between June 2020 and April 2021, Santos allegedly stole public funds from the government
• Counts 10 and 11: fraudulent unemployment benefits - between June 2020 and April 2021, Santos "knowingly and intentionally devise[d] a scheme" to defraud the New York State Department of Labor, prosecutors say
• Counts 12 and 13: prosecutors allege he made false statements to Congress on income disclosure forms

As we wait for Santos to arrive at court, let's look back at his few months in office.

Just days before he was sworn in, allegations of fraud and revelations he lied about his background came out in the press. Instead of starting in Congress as a relatively unknown first-term representative, his first weeks were marred by the many media stories piling up about his deceit.

Despite calls to quit, Santos has remained in office. Let's book back at some of the tense moments from the last six months.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

George Santos is expected to appear at court in New York any minute now, according to reporters at the courthouse.

Image source, Getty Images

The White House will not comment on the Santos case, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said today.

"The Justice Department is independent, and we respect that," she said.

She added that it would be up to the House of Representatives to decide whether the embattled Republican should be expelled from office.

Image source, Getty Images

We're expecting Santos to appear in court soon.

During the arraignment, we'll learn more details of Santos' alleged fraud activities, but here's a breakdown of what we know.

In court documents released today, prosecutors outlined three schemes they allege the embattled congressman participated in:

1. He stole money from campaign contributors to fund his personal life, according to prosecutors. They said this included paying back personal debts, credit card and car payments as well as purchasing lavish items such as designer clothing.
2. He stole US unemployment funds, prosecutors said. Despite being employed as a regional director at a Florida-based investment firm where he earned $120k (£95k) a year, Santos received the benefits for nearly a year, court documents stated.
3. He allegedly lied to Congress about his income. He filed two disclosure forms, overstating some of his income and failing to disclose other salaries he received, prosecutors said.

Image source, Getty Images

Pressed by reporters this morning on whether Santos should resign, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the charges against the New York Republican were a "concern".

But he did not urge Santos to resign.

"He will go through his time in trial, and let's find out how the outcome is," McCarthy said.

McCarthy noted that Santos was not on any committees and said "like every American", he would have his day in court.

Image source, Get

Senator Mitt Romney said he did not consider George Santos to be "one of my Republican colleagues".

Romney spoke briefly to BBC's US partner CBS News earlier today about Santos.

"We've learned that the wheels of justice grind slowly but they grind fine," Romney said.

"Clearly, his misstatements and outrageous claims are going to face a jury."

You'll remember the pair exchanged harsh words at the State of the Union address a few months ago.

Image source, Getty Images

To date, almost a dozen House and Senate Republicans have called for George Santos to resign from Congress.

Since the federal charges against him were first announced, several more have joined this group.

Yesterday, Santos' Republican New York colleague Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told Axios that "the sooner he leaves, the sooner we can win the seat with someone who isn’t a liar".

Today, after the federal charges were revealed, Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales said in a tweet, external that Santos should be "immediately expelled".

Image source, Getty Images

Allegations against the congressman go far beyond today's federal charges.

They’ve ranged from Santos allegedly stealing money from a dying dog to him falsely claiming Jewish ancestry.

Here are some of the most surprising accusations against the embattled Republican congressman to date. Note, these are not related to the charges announced today.

• A Brazilian drag performer in January shared an image on social media of herself and another person in drag, whom she claimed was the New York congressman. Santos has denied allegations he performed as a drag queen
• Santos claimed his mother died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but immigration documents reviewed by US media outlets show she was not in the US at the time
• In 2016, Santos allegedly raised and then subsequently stole money from a disabled veteran who asked for help for his sick dog. According to reports, the dog died and the federal government is investigating Santos’ role in the saga
• Politico reported that in 2017, Santos wrote fraudulent cheques to an Amish dog breeder. He was charged with theft in Pennsylvania, though he claims his chequebook was stolen

Image source, EPA

George Santos emerged on the Republican political scene out of nowhere and has been in the media spotlight ever since, for a number of strange reasons.

He represents some 740,000 people in a district which covers northeastern Queens and northern Long Island in New York.

After being elected to Congress in November, he admitted large portions of the biography he had shared with voters were untrue but insisted he would not be deterred from serving his two-year term.

In December, it emerged he was facing an investigation launched by Republican Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly as well as growing frustrations from constituents.

The 34-year-old has been accused of sexual misconduct by a former member of his staff; of falsely claiming his mother died in the attacks of 11 September 2001; of stealing money he fundraised for a dying dog; lying about his Jewish heritage; and even claiming to have produced the ill-fated Spider-Man musical on Broadway.

As Anthony mentioned in the post below, Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives and whatever happens with Santos could cause political waves.