Jorge Santosthe New York Republican elected in 2022 after presenting voters with a mostly bogus resume, could be looking to run for office again.
Santos has rejected calls to resign in the wake of revelations that he fabricated much of his background to get elected. Although he voluntarily resigned from his House committee assignments, Santos has been defiant about remaining in office.
“I am not leaving, I am not hiding and I am not backing down,” he tweeted in February, after offering to resign if 140,000 voters asked him to step down.
His presentation occurs in the middle of a new House Ethics Committee investigation on possible “illegal activities” related to his 2022 campaign and other alleged violations, including sexual harassment. The existence of an investigation does not mean that Santos violated any law. The New York Republican also faces local, federal and international investigations into his past, particularly the personal loans Santos made to his campaign.
Just because Santos filed with the FEC does not mean he will ultimately run for re-election, or that he has a chance of winning. republicans and democrats from his northern Queens and Long Island district are lining up to run for the competitive seat, and many of his colleagues in the New York House of Representatives have made it clear that they believe Santos must resign or face expulsion. A Siena College Research Institute survey released last month found that 66% of New Yorkers share that sentiment.