(USNewsBreak.com) – The House ousted former Representative George Santos (R-NY) last December following an ethics investigation. He is currently embroiled in legal battles, though he refused to let that stop him from running for Congress yet again. However, he recently announced that he was stepping away — for now.
Santos Backs Out of Race
Before his ouster, Santos served New York’s third congressional district. When he announced he would run after his Congressional colleagues voted him out of the House, first as a Republican, then as an independent, he chose to run in the first congressional district. That would pit against Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY), who was instrumental in removing him from Congress.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Santos announced on April 23 that he would no longer be running for the seat. He claimed launching a battle against LaLota could divide the votes and ensure a Democratic victory. He said that considering the “rise of antisemitism in our country,” particularly fueled by the Left, it wasn’t the time for him to run.
However, Santos made clear he had no intention of permanently withdrawing from politics. He planned to remain active in the political discussion space and perhaps run again in the future, telling his supporters he would “be back.”
Ongoing Legal Woes
Controversy riddled Santos’s agenda from the time his constituents elected him. Every week, it seemed the public was finding out that he had lied about some aspect of his life, from his education to his career and even his nationality. Critics accused him of stealing and writing fraudulent checks in Brazil and various other allegations.
Then, the federal government indicted him on 23 federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, falsifying records, making false statements to the Federal Elections Commission, and using campaign funds to pay for his private lifestyle. While he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, pundits have speculated that he was trying to work out a plea deal. It’s unclear whether the conjecture has merit, but Santos has a mid-August court date, and the judge scheduled his trial to begin in September.
In short, Santos wagered a long-shot bid with his most recent campaign. He would have had to gather at least 3,500 signatures to secure a place on the ballot, and local experts question whether he actually had enough signatures to run. One potential Democratic candidate, John Avlon, said he would miss the opportunity to debate the former congressman.
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