George Santos Declares 2024 Candidacy

Apparently undeterred by the numerous allegations against him and the House Ethics panel probe on the matter, Rep. George Santos on Tuesday filed paperwork related to a 2024 re-election campaign. Specifically, he filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission, but as the Hill notes, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll actually run again. The FEC had requested last month that Santos alert them by March 14 as to whether he's planning to run again, because his campaign reported almost $28,000 in contributions and nearly $43,000 in expenses after the November election in which Santos won his seat in Congress. Candidates who receive or spend more than $5,000 for an election are required to declare their candidacy to the FEC, so this paperwork allows him to raise money, USA Today reports.

All a spokesperson would say when asked whether the paperwork means Santos is running again was, "Congressional offices are legally barred from commenting on campaign related matters.” Santos himself had given a "maybe" as his answer to the re-election question last week, but he's remained firm in his insistence he'll finish out his current term despite the accusations swirling around him. He's also under investigation in Brazil. (More George Santos stories.)