Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December and faces federal charges of defrauding donors to his 2022 campaign, has announced he is running for the House again.
Quick Read
- Former U.S. Representative George Santos, expelled from Congress and facing federal fraud charges, announced his intention to run for the House again.
- Santos, a Republican and one of only six members ever ousted by the House, aims to challenge Rep. Nick LaLota in New York’s 1st Congressional District.
- The announcement came after Santos attended President Biden’s State of the Union address, where he interacted with former colleagues who had voted for his expulsion.
- Despite previous statements indicating he would not seek office again, Santos cited “prayer and conversation” with friends and family as reasons for his return to politics.
- Santos has filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to initiate his campaign against LaLota in the upcoming Republican primary.
- LaLota, who played a significant role in the effort to expel Santos, expressed readiness to face him in the primary if necessary.
- Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who previously held the seat Santos won in 2022, reclaimed it in a special election last month following Santos’s expulsion.
- Santos has acknowledged fabricating details about his professional and academic background during his prior campaign.
- He has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including lying to Congress, illegitimate receipt of unemployment benefits, and using campaign funds for personal expenses.
- Santos’s trial is provisionally set for September, subsequent to the primary election.
The Associated Press has the story:
George Santos, expelled from Congress, says he is running again
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December and faces federal charges of defrauding donors to his 2022 campaign, has announced he is running for the House again.
Santos, a Republican who is just the sixth member to be ousted by fellow House members, posted Thursday night on X that he will challenge Republican Rep. Nick LaLota, who represents a district on New York’s Long Island that is different from the one Santos represented before he was expelled.
Santos made the announcement after attending President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and mingling with former colleagues who voted to kick him out of Congress following a blistering report by the House Ethics Committee.
Santos, who had previously said he would not seek elective office again, said on X that he decided to challenge LaLota in New York’s 1st Congressional District, on eastern Long Island, after “prayer and conversation” with friends and family.
“Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1,” Santos posted.
Santos filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission designating a campaign committee and declaring his intent to challenge LaLota in the Republican primary in June.
LaLota, a leader of the effort to expel Santos, responded on X, “If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in.”
Democrat Tom Suozzi, who had represented the seat that Santos won in 2022 but stepped down to mount a failed run for governor of New York, won the district back in a special election last month.
Santos has admitted to lying about his job experience and college education during his previous campaign.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges including lying to Congress about his wealth, receiving unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve, and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses like designer clothing.
A judge has tentatively scheduled the trial for September, after the primary.
