Former U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York has announced his decision to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in a bid to return to Congress. Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives while facing federal fraud charges, expressed his disillusionment with the GOP following their approval of a $1.2 trillion spending package.
Santos had previously declared his intention to challenge Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in the GOP primary for an eastern Long Island district. The Democratic candidate for the same seat is John Avlon, a former CNN anchor.
