Amid ongoing scandals, Representative George Santos has officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 election. While this does not necessarily mean he will run for reelection, the Long Island Republican was required to file a statement of candidacy after crossing a fundraising threshold. Last week, Santos responded with a vague “maybe” when asked if he planned to run again, though he did state that he was currently focused on his job in Congress.
Santos is currently under investigation at the federal and local levels for potential financial improprieties. He is also being probed by the House ethics committee for possible unlawful activity in his 2022 campaign. His troubles are compounded by numerous lies he has told about his background, education, and resume.
Questions have been raised about the accuracy of Santos’ campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the identity of his treasurer. The financial windfall that allowed him to report a personal loan of $705,000 to his successful 2022 campaign has also come under scrutiny. Santos claims to have earned the money through his firm, The Devolder Organization, but he did not list any Devolder clients on the financial disclosure he was required to file last year as a candidate. Additionally, his financial disclosure form from his previous, failed bid for Congress in 2020 listed no assets and a salary of $55,000.
Despite these controversies, Santos has received support from some fellow Republicans. However, others have urged him not to seek reelection. In his statement of candidacy, Santos noted that he does not anticipate using personal funds for his campaign.
