Achi news desk-
Former New York representative George Santos announced on Friday that he would be leaving the Republican Party and running for congressional re-election as an independent. CNN reported.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Santos – who is facing a series of federal charges – attacked the GOP, vowing to take “Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent” .
“I cannot in good conscience associate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything,” he wrote on X. “I am officially suspending my petition in #NY01 to get access to’ r vote as a Republican and I will fill in to run as an independent.”
The former representative of 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 ouster of the 35-year-old former New York representative from the House.
Lalota responded to Santos’ challenge by making his effort to kick his former colleague and “hold accountable a pathological liar who stole an election”.
“If it takes beating him in a primary to finish the job, count me in,” LaLota said earlier this month.
Santos has entered a “not guilty plea” to 23 federal counts, which include allegations of misusing campaign funds, lying about his personal finances on House transparency reports, and fraud related 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 the November elections.
