Expelled New York Congressman George Santos — who made a surprise appearance at the State of the Union — announced he is running for office again in 2024.
“New York hasn’t had a real conservative represent them since I left office arbitrarily, thanks to RINO, empty suits like @nicklalota,” Mr Santos wrote on X. “He is a willing to risk the future of our majority and the future of this country for his own political gain.”
Representative Nick LaLota, a Republican, represents a portion of Long Island. He was first elected in 2023 — and will now face the since-expelled Congressman in the next election.
“Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1,” Mr Santos continued. “I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country.”
The announcement came in the middle of President Joe Biden’s fiery State of the Union address.
Mr Santos was ousted from Congress on 1 December by a vote of 311-114.
The move came after an Ethics Committee report found that there was “substantial evidence” that he had “knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with RedStone Strategies LLC; and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure (FD) Statements filed with the House”.
The probe also revealed the former Congressman spent $6,000 of campaign funds on Botox, luxury items and OnlyFans subscriptions.
Mr Santos was first elected to Congress in 2022 after losing his first attempt in 2020. Reports later revealed Mr Santos told lies about his grandparents being Holocaust survivors and his mother dying on 9/11.
In May, Mr Santos was charged with 13 charges in a Long Island federal court. Several months later, he was hit with a superseding indictment listing 23 counts.
He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but he’s now in talks for a possible plea deal.
Democratic Representative Tom Souzzi — who represented Mr Santos’ former district — won back his old seat on Tuesday night in a tight race against Republican nominee Mazi Melesa Pilip.
