U.S. Representative George Santos (R-NY) chats with his State of the Union guests and his staff as they prepare for the evening at Santos’ office on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., Feb. 7, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Embattled New York Republican Rep. George Santos took a step toward Tuesday in his bid for re-election in the House, where he is currently running under investigation.
santos campaign archive The Federal Election Commission’s candidacy statement for the 2024 election cycle, a move that could signal the new lawmaker’s intentions to run for re-election.
But the document does not guarantee that Santos, who has been denounced by some in his own party and embroiled in a series of investigations, will seek re-election in Congress. After winning the seat, The New York Times reported that Santos appeared to have fabricated key details of his background. He later admitted to lying about his biography when he ran for office.
Santos has a Tuesday deadline to file the form to keep some of his campaign contributions beyond the 2022 cycle and continue fundraising. The FEC warned last month that Santos would either have to formally announce his candidacy or “deny” his fundraising efforts.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s running — it just means his campaign committee is raising money,” Brendan Quinn, a senior communications manager at the Campaign Legal Center, told CNN in an email. CNBC.
Santos’ re-election plans remain opaque.he It is said He told New York Republican leaders late last year that he would not seek re-election, but since entering Congress he has adopted a more defiant tone and has It is said Started telling people he was going to run again.
“Rep. Santos’ campaign has submitted his candidacy statement as required by the FEC,” Santos said in a statement shared with CNBC via text message from Congressman’s attorney, Joseph Murray. “No further comment will be provided today.”
Santos was sworn into Congress earlier this year amid a string of scandals after a bombshell New York Times report questioned key details of his personal and professional life. Santos later admitted to “beautifying” his resume but denied other wrongdoing.As Santos came under greater scrutiny, more allegations emerged, including that he stole funds raised for a disabled veteran dying dog And, recently, he was involved in a credit card theft plan. Santos has denied both allegations.
Earlier this month, the House Ethics Committee appointed a subcommittee to investigation Whether Santos engaged in illegal campaigning and whether he violated federal conflict of interest laws.The subcommittee is also studying a charge A former volunteer sexually misconducted his staff.
Santos has been inundated with calls demanding him Resign, including top New York Republicans and some Republican congressmen from around the Santos-Nassau County regional congressional district. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy did not join those calls.
Santos vows to serve him full term, saying voters in his district should have the final say on whether he stays in Congress or leaves.Siena College polling A survey conducted in January found that Santos voters overwhelmingly wanted him to resign.
Meanwhile, Santos delete He himself left the two House committees to which he was assigned until the “distraction” of numerous investigations into his campaign and personal finances had subsided.