Former New York Representative George Santos made headlines on Friday as he declared his departure from the Republican Party to pursue his congressional comeback bid as an independent candidate. Santos, who had been facing a series of federal charges and was ousted from the House last year, took to social media to criticize the GOP and express his intention to champion 'Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values' as an Independent candidate in the upcoming November elections.
In a statement posted on social media, Santos voiced his disillusionment with the Republican Party, stating, 'I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything.' He announced his decision to suspend his petitioning as a Republican in New York's 1st District and confirmed his plans to run as an independent candidate.
Santos, who previously represented New York's 3rd Congressional District on Long Island, recently announced his bid to challenge Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in the neighboring 1st District during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. LaLota, who had initiated the resolution to expel Santos from the House last fall, responded to the challenge by emphasizing his commitment to holding Santos accountable for his alleged wrongdoings.
Despite facing 23 federal charges, including accusations of fraud related to Covid-19 unemployment benefits, misuse of campaign funds, and providing false information about his personal finances on House disclosure reports, Santos has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In order to run as an independent candidate in the November elections, Santos will be required to submit an independent nominating petition with the signatures of 3,500 voters from New York's 1st District to the Suffolk County Board of Elections by May 28.
