Expelled Rep. George Santos Says He’s Running for Congress Again

Ousted New York congressman George Santos says he will run for office again in 2024.

The former congressman, 35, made the announcement on X (formerly known as Twitter) during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday. Santos was seen sitting among his former colleagues as Biden, 81, delivered his annual joint speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.

“New York has not had a true conservative to represent it since I arbitrarily left office, thanks to RINO, empty suits like @nicklalota.” Santos announced. (RINO is an acronym for “Republican in Name Only,” and was used by members of the MAGA movement to undermine Trump’s conservative critics.)

In his post, Santos continued to criticize Republican Rep. Nick LaLota, whose seat he is seeking. “He is willing to risk the future of our majority and the future of this country for his own political gain,” Santos wrote.

LaLota was one of the New York representatives who sponsored a resolution to oust Santos amid his reported ethics violations and ongoing criminal investigation.

“After much prayer and discussion with my friends and family, I have made a very important decision that will shake things up,” Santos continued. “Tonight I want to announce that I am returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick to a battle over #NY1.”

George Santos has pleaded not guilty to new charges as efforts to oust him from Congress mount

Rep. George Santos, RN.Y., holds a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

“I look forward to debating the issues and his poor record as a Republican with him. The fight for our majority is imperative for the country’s survival,” he added. “God bless you all, and we’re off to the races!”

On December 1, Santos was expelled from Congress by a vote of 311 to 114.

Santos has been embroiled in controversy before his term even began in January 2023. But in May he was charged with fraud and lying in a 13-count indictment that followed an investigation into his financial statements and alleged false claims he made while ran for Congress.

The 13 counts included seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.

George Santos in Washington, DC, USA, Thursday, April 27, 2023. Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty George Santos faces 10 new federal charges, including identity theft and falsifying records

Then, in October, the Republican was hit with an additional 10 counts — which included one count of conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of making materially false statements to the FEC, two counts of falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of access device fraud.

Santos has pleaded not guilty to each charge. Since then, Santos’ legal team and the prosecution have been in “preliminary discussions” about a plea deal, CNN reported. His trial is currently scheduled for August 2024.

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After the dramatic ouster, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to fill Santos’ former seat, turning it blue again after just a year in Republican hands.

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Source: HIS Education