CLAIM: An image of U.S. Rep. George Santos in a gray sweater and blue jacket is a mugshot taken Wednesday after he was indicted on federal charges.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. No mugshot has been released. The image circulating on social media is a cropped and edited version of a news photo taken on Jan. 10, 2023, outside a House Republican Conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Department of Justice generally does not release mugshots as a matter of policy, a spokesperson confirmed.

THE FACTS: As Santos pleaded not guilty Wednesday in the Eastern District of New York on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress, social media users spread the image online, falsely claiming it is his mugshot.

“Whatever you do, please don’t retweet this brand new mugshot of Trumper Congressman George Santos,” reads one tweet that received more than 7,900 likes and 5,500 shares as of early Wednesday evening.

But the image has nothing to do with Santos’ criminal case. It matches a photo that was taken in January by a staff photographer for CQ Roll Call, a congressional news outlet, and shows Santos outside a House Republican Conference meeting in the U.S. Capitol.

The version spreading on social media is cropped to show only Santos’ head and shoulders. Certain details, such as his clothing and the position of his hair, match the original exactly, but it appears that the social media version was edited to give Santos more of a frown and to decrease the color saturation.

Video and photos of Santos outside the Central Islip, New York courthouse where he was arraigned Wednesday afternoon show he was wearing a brown sweater and no tie, rather than the gray top and blue tie in the supposed mugshot.

Danielle Hass, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of New York, told The Associated Press that “it’s against DOJ policy” to release mugshots. The only exception, as the agency’s website outlines, is “when there is a law enforcement purpose for doing so like in a fugitive situation.”

Santos, who is infamous for fabricating his life story, is being accused of duping donors, stealing from his campaign and lying to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Following his arraignment and release on a $500,000 bond, he told reporters outside the courthouse that he won’t drop his bid for reelection, defying calls to resign.

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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.

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