Former Representative George Santos, who was expelled from the House in December 2023 after being found to have violated federal law and used campaign money for personal expenses, has announced that he is withdrawing his bid for Congress in New York's First Congressional District. Santos had initially declared as a Republican candidate but later switched to independent due to concerns over a $1.2 trillion spending bill passing hours before a government shutdown deadline. However, he cited not wanting to split the ticket and potentially handing the seat to Democrats as his reason for withdrawing.
Santos faced nearly two dozen felony counts related to alleged wire fraud, identity theft, and campaign finance violations. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and is scheduled to stand trial in September. Santos did not rule out the possibility of running for Congress again in the future.
The rise of antisemitism in the country was also cited by Santos as a factor in his decision to withdraw from the race. Nick LaLota, who currently holds the seat for Republicans, reacted to Santos' statement by accusing him of spreading misinformation.
Santos was first expelled from Congress after a report by the House Ethics committee found 'substantial evidence' that he had violated federal criminal laws. He became only the sixth member of Congress to ever be expelled. Since leaving Congress, Santos has been active on social media and Cameo, where he is paid for short, personalized video messages.
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