(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., unexpectedly showed up at the State of the Union address Thursday night, and took the opportunity to announce his next run for office.
Santos, who donned a bedazzled collar and silver shoes for the occasion, said he planned to launch a primary challenge against freshmen Rep. Nick LaLota in his upcoming reelection bid for New York’s 1st Congressional District, an affluent region that covers the East End of Long Island, including the Hamptons.
Tonight, I came to the SOTU with an open mind and heart because I believe in the great idea that is the United States of America.
I just witnessed a weak, frail president deliver spin and lies to the American people from inside the chambers. I have made several personal…
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) March 8, 2024
“Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1,” Santos tweeted.
“I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican,” he added. “The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country.”
In his statement, he also called LaLota an “empty suit,” and a “RINO.”
The filing deadline for New York’s June 25 primary is not until April 4, giving the ousted lawmaker ample opportunity to mount his campaign, but leaving open many unanswered questions after the first openly gay Republican congressman was unceremoniously expelled late last year.
House rules stipulate that “any former lawmaker can maintain their floor privileges unless they are a lobbyist, foreign agent, have a direct interest in the bill being considered at the time, or have been convicted of a crime in relation to their election or service.”
Santos has the dubious distinction of being not only the first Republican to be forcibly voted out of the House, but also the first one removed without either having been convicted of a crime or supported the Confederate secession.
He was voted from his seat in December after a House ethics tribunal discovered “substantial evidence” that he “knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission.”
There also was evidence of Santos spending campaign funds on non-campaign-related line items, such as Botox injections, Ferragamo merchandise and OnlyFans subscriptions.
Santos pleaded not guilty to all charges initially. As of late December, reports indicated that he was seeking to negotiate a plea deal with the Justice Department.
Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi took Santos’s seat in a special election last month, reclaiming the district that he had previously held prior to leaving in 2022 to launch a gubernatorial run.
Santos lambasted his old colleagues over the loss, which slimmed the razor-thin Republican majority in the House even further.
“I look very forward to most of you losing due to your absolute hate filled campaign to remove me from Congress arbitrarily,” Santos said in a group message to his former colleagues in the New York GOP delegation. “Now go tell the Republicans Base what you f**king idiots did and good luck raising money next quarter.”
