George Santos Says He’ll Run For Reelection Even If Expelled From Congress

Rep. George Santos, the embattled Republican going through a Home ethics probe and the opportunity of years behind bars after being indicted on federal costs, stated he intends to run for reelection in New York even when he’s expelled from Congress.

“Elections are tough; there’s no predetermined final result,” he instructed CNN’s Manu Raju on Friday of his believed capability to win in 2024. The Home Ethics Committee has signaled that it’s going to share an replace on its investigation on, or earlier than, Nov. 17.

Santos, whose full interview with Raju is ready to air Sunday, insisted that his private background wasn’t an element when his constituents voted for him and that it shouldn’t have an effect on him now.

“No person elected me as a result of I performed volleyball or not. No person elected me as a result of I graduated school,” he stated, showing to acknowledge previous falsehoods he’d instructed about attending Baruch School on a sports activities scholarship and going to New York College. He’s additionally accused of mendacity about his skilled profession and volunteer historical past, in addition to his household’s background and supposedly Jewish heritage. (HuffPost maintains a operating record of his claims.)

“No person knew my biography, no person opened my biography who voted for me,” Santos instructed Raju, whereas denying that he’s achieved something flawed.

It wasn’t till after he was elected final 12 months that discrepancies in his resume and background gained discover, prompting requires him to resign, which he has continued to disregard.

Lots of his Home colleagues have tried to forcefully oust him, however to this point with out success.

On Wednesday he simply survived a vote to expel him from the chamber, with members finally deciding to let Santos keep till there are additional developments in his prison case or Home probe.

“Santos has not been criminally convicted but of the offenses cited within the decision, nor has he been discovered responsible of ethics offenses within the Home inside course of,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who voted towards eradicating Santos this week, instructed Axios. “We are able to’t abandon due course of and the rule of legislation within the Home of Representatives.”

Santos’ prison trial is scheduled to start out in September 2024 ― two months earlier than he hopes to get reelected to New York’s third Congressional District.

He has pleaded not responsible to 23 federal costs, together with fraud, cash laundering, id theft, and making materially false statements to the Home.

Santos allegedly stole the identities of his marketing campaign donors after which used their bank cards to ring up tens of hundreds of {dollars} in unauthorized costs. Among the cash ended up in his private checking account, prosecutors say.