Former New York congressman George Santos has announced his withdrawal from his independent bid for a second spot in the House of Representatives. This decision comes months after Santos was ousted from his seat and is facing 23 federal criminal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds.
Santos made the announcement on Twitter, stating that he did not want his run to be seen as a reprisal against his GOP opponent, Nick Lalota. Despite their differing voting records, Santos expressed concern about splitting the ticket and potentially handing the House to Democrats.
The former congressman’s legal troubles began in March 2023 when the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into him. This led to a series of indictments, with Santos denying all allegations and pleading not guilty. He was ultimately expelled from the House in December 2023.
In a bizarre turn of events, Santos recently made headlines for appearing outside former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York. He was on his way to a hearing for his own court case against late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Santos alleges that Kimmel deceived him into making videos on the Cameo app, which were then used on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Despite his legal battles, Santos remains defiant and committed to participating in public policy discussions. His withdrawal from the House race marks a significant development in his tumultuous political career.