When former Republican Rep. George Santos was expelled from Congress in December, he swore he would never return. “Why would I want to stay here?” he told reporters at the time. “To hell with this place.”
Santos has alleged widespread corruption and inefficacy among his previous peers, calling Congress “the longest soap opera in the world” in a social media post last month.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]But on Thursday night during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union, Santos announced his intent to run for a House seat again, only this time he would take on one of the members who led the charge to remove him from office.
“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 on X, referring to GOP Rep. Nick LaLota. “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.”
Santos’ declaration came as a surprise to many in Washington, considering the cloud of controversy surrounding him. The indicted ex-congressman and outed serial fabulist, who now makes personalized Cameo videos and used his lifetime floor privileges to attend the State of the Union, became the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from the House just months ago, after a scathing ethics report raised concerns about his alleged misconduct—finding that he had spent campaign funds on Botox, designer goods, and OnlyFans, the website known for its adult content.
He has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including allegations of fraud, swindling donors, misusing campaign funds, and lying about his personal finances on disclosure reports. His criminal trial is scheduled for September.
Read More: What I Learned Investigating George Santos
LaLota, who introduced a resolution to expel Santos, hit back against his former colleague on Thursday night after seeing the announcement. “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,” LaLota said on X, to which Santos replied: “Pathetic little man.”
Santos filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, stating his intention to run as a Republican candidate in New York’s 1st District after his vacated seat in the state’s 3rd District was won in a special election by Democrat Tom Suozzi in February. Santos enters a fiercely contested race in New York that could have a major impact on determining what is expected to be a slim House majority by either party after November’s elections.
LaLota was seen laughing on the House floor during the State of the Union after finding out about Santos’ intention to challenge him.
