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CNN
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Former New York State Representative George Santos announced Friday that he is leaving the Republican Party and seeking to return to Congress as an independent.
Santos, who faced numerous federal violations and was expelled from the House last year, attacked Republicans in social media posts and said he would “put his ultra-MAGA/pro-Trump values on the November ballot as an independent.” promised.
“I cannot in good conscience belong to a party that stands for nothing and follows everything,” he said. I wrote to X. “I am officially suspending my petition in #NY01 for ballot access as a Republican and plan to run as an independent.”
Mr. Santos previously represented New York’s Long Island 3rd Congressional District. Earlier this month, during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, the former congressman announced he would challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Larota in the adjoining 1st District. Last fall, Mr. Larota introduced a resolution to expel him.
Mr. Larota, an outspoken critic of Mr. Santos, responded to the challenge by highlighting Mr. Santos’ efforts to oust his former colleagues and “hold accountable the pathological liars who stole the election.”
“If we need to beat him in the primary to get the job done, let me be in it,” Larota said March 7.
Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including fraud charges related to COVID-19 unemployment benefits, misuse of campaign funds and lying about personal finances in a House disclosure report.
For Santos to run as an independent in November, he must submit an independent nomination petition to the Suffolk County Board of Elections by May 28, with signatures from 3,500 voters in New York’s 1st District.
CNN’s Molly English, Hayley Talbot, David Wright and Simone Pate contributed to this report.
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