(UnitedVoice.com) – Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is controversial, to put it mildly. Soon after being elected to Congress, reports surfaced that he’d lied about much of his resume, including his schooling, religion, work history, and other information. The Department of Justice has charged him with more than two dozen crimes related to his alleged campaign spending. And he became the sixth member of Congress to be booted out.
Now, Santos has said he’s running for office again.
Santos Running Again
On March 7, Santos attended the State of the Union Address on Capitol Hill. He was in the Capitol Building for the first time since being expelled last year. As a former member of the House, he has privileges that allow him to enter the Lower Chamber floor while it’s in session.
After the event, he posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, announcing he was running for office again. According to the disgraced lawmaker, he went to the State of the Union “with an open mind and heart” because he believed in America. He went on to say he “witnessed a weak, frail president deliver spin and lies” to Americans.
After attacking President Joe Biden, Santos went after his Republican successor in the First Congressional District of New York. He said Nick LaLota is an “empty sui[t]” who is “willing to risk the future of” the GOP majority and “the future of this country for his own political gain.”
Santos said he consulted with his loved ones and decided he would be running against LaLota in the next election to “shake things up.”
https://x.com/MrSantosNY/status/1765933663345127764
Santos was expelled from Congress in December after a bipartisan vote to kick him out. The vote came after a damning Ethics Committee report accused him of misspending campaign funds.
Indictments Hang Over Campaign
While Santos is running again, the DOJ is plowing ahead with its prosecution. The former lawmaker was charged with 10 counts last May. Those charges, in the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, included fraud, theft of public funds, money laundering, and making false statements.
In October 2023, the Eastern District announced a 23-count superseding indictment was filed against the then-congressman. He was accused of aggravated identity theft, falsifying records, money laundering, theft of public funds, and other crimes.
Santos has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him. The next court proceeding is set for mid-August, and his trial could start as early as September. That would mean he’s going to be up to his nose in legal trouble during campaign season if he were able to win the Republican nomination for his old seat.
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