GOP Rep. George Santos has filed paperwork with federal regulators formally declaring his 2024 candidacy despite calls from his Republican colleagues urging him not to seek reelection, CNN reports.
The move follows a demand last month from the Federal Election Commission that he declare his intentions after the Long Island Republican crossed a fundraising threshold that required him to file a statement of candidacy.
Last week, Santos was asked by CNN’s Melanie Zanona whether he’d run for office again
“Maybe,” the Scandal-plagued representative said, adding that he was focused on his current job in Congress.
The New York Republican, who has lied extensively about his resume, education and family background, faces federal and local investigations into his finances and a House ethics committee probe into whether he may have engaged in unlawful activity in his 2022 campaign.
Some of the biggest questions around Santos’ campaign activity have centered on the financial windfall that allowed him to report a personal loan of $705,000 to his successful 2022 campaign when his personal financial disclosure form listed no assets and a salary of $55,000 per year.
He has said he earned the money through his firm, The Devolder Organization.
However as noted by CNN, “he listed no Devolder clients on the financial disclosure he was required to file last year as a candidate.”
