George Santos, a former New York representative, announced Friday that he would be leaving the Republican Party and will be running for his congressional comeback as an independent, CNN reported.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Santos who — faces a string of federal charges — attacked the GOP, pledging to take “Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent”.
“I, in good conscience, cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything,” he wrote on X. “I am officially suspending my petitioning in #NY01 to access the ballot as a Republican and will be filling to run as an independent.”
The former representative for New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Long Island challenged Republican Representative Nick LaLota in the 1st District.
Last fall, LaLota, an outspoken critic of Santos, introduced a resolution that led to the 35-year-old former New York representative’s expulsion from the House.
Lalota responded to Santos’ challenge by touting his effort to kick out his former colleague and “hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable”.
“If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in,” LaLota said on earlier this month.
Santos has entered a “not guilty plea” to 23 federal counts, which include claims of misusing campaign funds, lying about his personal finances on House transparency reports, and fraud pertaining to COVID-19 unemployment payments.
Santos must submit an independent nomination petition to the Suffolk County Board of Elections by May 28 with the signatures of 3,500 voters in New York’s 1st District in order to run as an independent in November elections.
