WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December and faces federal charges of defrauding donors to his 2022 campaign, has announced he is running for the House again.
Santos said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will mount a primary challenge to Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) for a seat in a district on Long Island, New York. It will be a different seat from which Santos was expelled earlier this year.
Santos raised eyebrows when he was spotted at the State of the Union address Thursday night. Former congresspeople are permitted to attend the speech, regardless of expulsion.
Santos has pleaded not guilty to charges including lying to Congress about his wealth, receiving unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve, and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses like designer clothing.
A judge has tentatively scheduled the trial for September, after the primary.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
