George Santos, Disgraced Former Republican Congressman, Announces He Will Run for the House Again
After being disowned by his Republican colleagues, former Republican Congressman George Santos announced that he will be running for the House once again, even after his historic dismissal from Congress, which received widespread support from both parties.
The former New York Representative who was once wanted in Brazil is now officially running for Congress again. This will allow him to raise money from the public not just for his congressional run but also pull a Donald Trump and use that money for his legal defense.
As Yahoo! News pointed out, Santos has been charged with 23 federal counts as he faces several big legal battles. His alleged crimes include unemployment fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, stealing from his own campaign donors, and lying to Congress.
While the announcement was not unprecedented, with former Rep. James Trafficant, a former Democrat, running as an independent from his jail cell only to lose to his former aide, Rep. Tim Ryan, his former colleagues in Congress were still surprised.
The announcement was timed with Joe Biden's State of the Union address. However, many raised their eyebrows as Santos previously announced that he would not run again after he was expelled from Congress with a wide bipartisan vote.
"I will continue on my mission to serve my constituents up until I am allowed," he previously said after he was expelled from Congress. "I will however NOT be seeking re-election for a second term in 2024 as my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time."
George Santos' Republican Primary Opponent Reacts To Political Return Announcement
When George Santos announced he would run again, he did so by revealing that he would be running in the 1st District of New York and challenging GOP Rep. Nick LaLota for the seat. He previously represented the 3rd District of New York, which has since disavowed him after his various scandals came out.
READ MORE: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel Over Using His Cameo Video to Make Fun of Him
"Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1," Santos wrote in his announcement. "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."
However, LaLota hit back, saying, "To raise the standard in Congress and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in," said the Republican incumbent.
He was the one who introduced a resolution to expel Santos last fall and he previously stated that Santos deserved "to be in prison."
George Santos Appearance at the State of the Union Surprised Many
When George Santos announced he was running, he did so after the State of the Union address. He also appeared during Biden's televised address, surprising many of his colleagues. He was booted out of Congress with a 311-114-2 vote.
"It's the State of the Union, why not," he told Fox News as to why he was there. "It's a privilege."
The Hill noted that during last year's SOTU, he drew headlines when he had a heated discussion with Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, with the former Republican presidential candidate calling Santos a "disgrace" to his face.
READ MORE: George Santos Wants To Be Donald Trump's Head of ICE
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: 'It's a joke': Santos ex-aide blasts his rerun for Congress - CNN
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