George Santos says there's a lot of bad hombres behind bars who want to rough him up for one reason or another ... and he's again turning up the pressure on the Federal Bureau of Prisons to keep him safe.
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00:00So the first thing that crossed my mind when I heard your comments were when you speak about this publicly, does it not become a self-fulfilling prophecy that you are basically inviting and challenging inmates to cross that line because you have dared them?
00:25You know, Harvey, that's what people want to take away from this. It's more so putting the BOP on check. For years, the BOP, in theory, is tasked to keeping inmates safe.
00:36The Bureau of Prisons, we should say, for those who don't know.
00:39Well, sorry, yeah. So the Bureau of Prisons is tasked to keep prisoners safe. Prison is not supposed to be punitive. It's supposed to be for rehabilitation.
00:47Now, we know that in theory, that is what it's supposed to be like. But in practice, we know the horror stories, rape, all sorts of violence and death and everything.
00:58This isn't an invitation for assault on me. I'm not a nonviolent person. Right.
01:02I grew up in a New York City apartment. I am as bad as a mama's boy city boy as they come.
01:08But the reality is they have an obligation. And the downside for them is I pretty much have a billy pulpit and I'm going to use it, even if it's to reform how they operate and how they treat people and inmates.
01:20We need judicial system reform. And I never thought I'd be the one advocating for it. But here I am.
01:26So I will make lemons out of I will make lemonades out of the lemons that life throws me.
01:30And if this is my new task is to hold them honest and to keep them accountable to people's safety, hey, it is what it is.
01:37It's my reality. So I'm going to make the best out of it that I can.
01:40George, do you think, you know, what Harvey said is one thing about the sort of inviting other inmates to cross that line.
01:47But you're also sort of challenging the guards as well.
01:51And look, I don't know. I've not been in prison. I'm basing this on movies and TV.
01:56But guards sometimes look the other way, even though they may be standing at their post, they kind of look the other way.
02:03And even though they may come in to help you, if someone gets in, in other words, they can make the effort so it looks good.
02:11But you're still going to be the victim of violence, potentially.
02:14I mean, look, if I become a victim of violence, I have civil claims that I can take.
02:18You know, you just because you're in prison doesn't mean you don't have your civil rights in this country.
02:23You're actually entitled to your civil rights throughout your entire life, no matter what your circumstances are.
02:28So they can play that game.
02:30But most importantly, it would be it would be a shame to have somebody who's actually not as too long ago when New York State was doing their entire massive walkout with the state correctional facilities.
02:43I was one of the very few people siding with them and writing op eds and actually in the front lines with them.
02:48Do you really think that these guards really want to take issue with me?
02:51Somebody who supported them, somebody who's fought for funding for them?
02:55I think it's a non-issue.
02:56That's why I think it's such a simple solution.
02:58Put me in protective custody.
02:59Like, take the big onus away from the guards.
03:02Take the big onus away from the government.
03:04You don't want a notice of claims from George Santos against the United States government.
03:07It's very simple.
03:08That is interesting.
03:09It sounds like you have sort of your credentials ready to let them know when you get in.
03:14Hey, I'm with you guys.
03:15I've stood for prison guards before, so help me out.
03:21It's not even a quid pro quo.
03:22It's just a fact.
03:24You can go back in my writings for the South Shore Press.
03:26Two months ago, I was railing against Kathy Hochul and the commissioner of corrections facilities here in New York State.
03:34So it's not like this is made up or even beforehand when I was campaigning in 2022 and when I was in Congress in 23.
03:42This is an issue I've always stood with prison guards.
03:45I think they're undercompensated.
03:46I think that they have they don't have a good shake or a good rep.
03:49And I think that we do need to give people in prison dignity and a dignified process.
03:54It's not supposed to be a dehumanizing process.
03:58And a lot of people confuse the two things.
03:59So you have had a very colorful life.
04:03And I'm wondering what elements of your life concern you the most when you're in prison.
04:11I mean, you've been a controversial congressman.
04:16You've had this high profile trial.
04:18You've had things in your personal life that have been splashed all over the Internet and the media generally.
04:27Is there a particular part that's concerning you?
04:30Everything.
04:31I mean, if you look at the prison system right now, a big bulk of white collar crimes all stem from COVID-19 fraud.
04:39Guess what?
04:39I voted and co-authored and sponsored all of those bills that became law that gave the Justice Department the ability to crack down on them.
04:48That's one set of sector of people.
04:50Then you have all the drug lords and all the drug runners who are there, too, who I've also been a super critic of.
04:56Then I'm gay.
04:57So the obvious concerns are there as well.
04:59So there's a lot of different elements to myself that do worry me.
05:03That's why I'm raising the alarms.
05:05Look, most people run and parade and beg for a pardon.
05:08Obviously, I'm asking President Trump to look at my case seven years in comparison to people who've made away with millions and millions in public corruption schemes.
05:16And they got months in prison, some probation and some even domestic arrest.
05:21I mean, I'm a first time offender and they threw the book at me with the bookshelf.
05:25So definitely petitioning the president in the formal process, but at the same time preparing for what's to come.
05:31I'm not going to take this sitting down.
05:34You know, like this is not how this is supposed to be.
05:36I shouldn't have these concerns if our if our Bureau of Prisons was run efficiently and properly, giving people dignity.
05:44You requested to be once you get to the prison to be in solitary that you don't want to be in general population.
05:53That comes with its own mental challenges, no?
05:57I mean, what do you think seven years in prison would do to a person?
06:01It comes with its mental challenges.
06:03I don't want to be friends with people in prison.
06:04I don't need friends. I have enough friends.
06:07I'd rather sit between four walls, write a book, read books and stick to myself.
06:11Like there's there's no socializing or socialization aspect of prison that I'm looking forward to.
06:17So, yeah, you can look at it that way.
06:19It has its mental tolls.
06:20I'd rather take my chances going crazy than being, you know, the latter and the alternative.
06:25OK, all right.
06:25I know this is a ways down the road and right now you're just worried about going to prison.
06:30But seven years is not the longest sentence.
06:36What any have you thought about what you would do?
06:38I know you just mentioned writing a book.
06:40What you thoughts about what you would do when you get out?
06:43Honestly, I'm not thinking that far ahead because I don't know if there's like a normal human being coming out of prison in seven years.
06:48Let's just face it. Right.
06:50It changes you like I'm a person today.
06:53I'm not even the same person I was a week ago after getting the book thrown at my face.
06:58I'm not the same person I was two years ago before I got indicted.
07:01So it's like I don't know.
07:03I don't know that there's a normal human being that comes out of that situation.
07:07So there's there's definitely that.
07:09So I can't think ahead, unfortunately.
07:10I don't know.