U.S. Rep. George Santos on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to charges laid out in a 13-count indictment: wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress.
The New York politician has been under fire since taking office earlier this year, when it was reported he had lied on his resume.
Immediately following the arraignment, in which Santos was released on $500,000 bond, a purported mug shot of the representative appeared on social media.
"Whatever you do, please don't retweet this brand new mug shot of Trumper Congressman George Santos," read a tweet that was shared more than 5,500 times.
But that mug shot is fake -- it's a "cropped and edited" version of a news photo taken earlier this year, according to The Associated Press. No mug shot of Santos was released.
Danielle Hass, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of New York, told the AP that "it's against DOJ policy" to release mug shots. An exception, according to the agency's website, is "when there is a law enforcement purpose for doing so, like in a fugitive situation."
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The original photo used to create the fake mug shot, taken Jan. 10 by a staff photographer for a congressional news outlet, shows Santos at a Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol. The image was later manipulated to make it appear Santos was frowning.
The clothing in the created mug shot, Santos in a gray sweater and blue tie, matches...
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