George Santos Announces Bid for Two More Years of Public Humiliation
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has announced that he’s running for reelection. The embattled Long Island congressman, who more than 70 percent of voters in his district think should resign, officially announced his 2024 campaign on Monday.
“As a first-generation American, I am no stranger to the issues affecting my district. I grew up poor with a single mom, and thanks to the American dream, a poor boy of immigrant parents in Queens can grow up to serve his community in the halls of Congress,” Santos wrote in a statement. “Good isn’t good enough, and I’m not shy about doing what it takes to get the job done. I’m proud to announce my candidacy to run for re-election and continue to serve the people of NY-3.”
Santos filed paperwork indicating he was considering a second run in March. Recent filings indicate that his campaign issued so many refunds to angry donors in the first quarter of 2023 that they actually lost $3000 more than they took in.
While Santos would like to tout his middling achievements in the House of Representatives, his most notable accolade is being the most prolific liar to grace the halls of Congress in recent memory. The backlash to his avalanche of falsehoods was so intense that it prompted Santos to resign from his congressional committee assignments in January.
As a candidate for office, Santos was caught fabricating the large swaths of his background, including his college education, work history, religious affiliation, claims of collegiate sports stardom, a fake Broadway career, and even the cause of death of his mother.
On top of the lies about his resume and personal life, Santos has also been linked to a series of criminal schemes. The congressman was allegedly wanted in Brazil on a series of check fraud allegations, reportedly stole thousands from a disabled veteran, and allegedly had his former roommate take the fall for a credit card fraud scheme he had masterminded.
None of this has gone unnoticed by authorities — both in and out of Congress. The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into allegations that Santos “engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office.”
Federal authorities in the Eastern District of New York are probing the congressman’s campaign finances. The probe stems from a series of large loans Santos provided to his own congressional campaign, the origin of which remain unclear and are not explained by financial disclosures from his run for office.
While Republicans in his district have already called for his resignation, Santos’ reelection run could have another motive. Campaign finance laws allow candidates to use money collected for their election bid on legal expenses. In his campaign announcement, the congressman included a call for donations.