Former Democratic California Congressman T.J. Cox has been offered a plea deal over federal charges including wire fraud and money laundering. Cox, who represented California’s 21st Congressional District from 2019 to 2021, is facing a total of 28 charges, five more than former New York GOP Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress last year. The plea deal was mentioned in court documents filed on Wednesday, although specific details were not provided. The hearing for Cox, originally scheduled for March 27, was postponed to May 22 due to the extensive amount of digital records and evidence that his attorney needs to review. Cox surrendered to FBI agents in August 2022 and was conditionally released after being charged with wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, and campaign contribution fraud. Prosecutors allege that Cox stole $1.7 million from clients and companies he was associated with between 2013 and 2018. They also accuse him of arranging illegal straw donations during his campaign for Congress in 2018. Additionally, Cox is accused of providing fabricated bank statements and fraudulently obtaining a $1.5 million construction loan. The loan went into default, resulting in a loss of over $1.2 million. The number of charges faced by Cox exceeds those faced by Santos, who was expelled from Congress due to allegations of wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, and credit card fraud. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has recently announced his bid for Congress as an Independent candidate. Cox, who previously flipped California’s 21st congressional district in 2018 but lost to Republican Rep. David Valadao in 2020, is yet to comment on the plea deal.
