Maligned Republican Representative George Santos announced his reelection campaign on Monday afternoon.
After “joking” to a New York Post photographer that he would imminently announce his reelection bid, Santos followed through and launched his campaign to the world.
“t’s a beautiful day here in Washington, DC. It’s a great day to be an American. It’s a great day to be a Republican, and it’s a great day to announce re-election,” he said earlier to the Post photographer.
“I am proudly announcing my bid for re-election for #NY03,” Santos later tweeted. “This is about TAKING BACK our country and restoring greatness back to New York.”
Someone close to the lawmaker said they believed Santos was announcing his campaign so far in advance, about 17 months, because he believes he can fundraise up to $750,000 before that time.
That would be an astonishing turnaround from the just over $5,000 he raised between January 1st and March 31st, according to campaign finance records and reporting by CBS that said refunded individual donors in excess of that amount.
He reportedly has around $25,000 left in his war chest for the future.
Dodging Controversy
Both parties have called for Santos to step down after he admitted to telling various falsehoods and embellishments during his campaign, including that he is Jewish and previously worked for Goldman Sachs.
He is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged unlawful campaign activist and violations of federal conflict-of-interest laws.
Federal prosecutors are looking into a $700,000 personal loan he made to his 2022 campaign with dubious origins as well as potential falsification of campaign expenses.
Santos did voluntarily step down from his committee assignments in January after the depth of his lying was initially revealed.
“This was a decision that I take very seriously. The business of the 118th Congress must continue without media fanfare,” he said at the time. “It is important that I primarily focus on serving the constituents of New York’s Third Congressional District and providing federal-level representation without distraction.”
