(NewsReady.com) – Disgraced former Congressman George Santos has launched a shock bid for re-election. The New York Republican, who was expelled from the House last December, plans a primary challenge to one of the GOP congressmen who helped remove him from office. Santos, who’s facing over a dozen federal fraud charges, will have an uphill struggle to win support from fellow Republicans.
On March 7, Santos, who still has House floor privileges despite being expelled for inventing most of his resume and concealing his criminal record, showed up to watch President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. He was spotted in the audience talking to Representatives Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and then, while still in the House, posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) announcing his plan to run again.
In his surprise message, Santos said he’d just watched “a weak, frail president deliver spin and lies to the American people.” He then claimed New York hasn’t been represented by a real conservative since he “left office arbitrarily”—an interesting way of describing his expulsion on a 311-114 vote, with almost half of House Republicans supporting his removal. He also called Representative Nick LaLota (R-NY) an “empty suit” before revealing that he’s “returning to the arena of politics” and plans to challenge LaLota for New York’s 1st Congressional District.
As well as the fake resume that got him expelled from Congress, Santos faces 13 federal charges for wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to the House. So far, he’s pleading not guilty to all the charges and has said he’s not considering a plea deal, but prosecutors have a mass of evidence and seem confident they can convict him. At this point, he’s widely seen as a fantasist who can’t be trusted at all, following a string of false and often bizarre claims. Nevertheless, he was expected to file his candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission on March 8, so New York Republicans will face another divisive primary battle with this controversial candidate.
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