George Santos could pay himself $87k yearly rate to run for Congress again

Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., announced he’s running for Congress again just four months after he was expelled. The House ousted Santos for lying about nearly every aspect of his life, and according to a House Ethics Committee report, stealing money from his campaign and creating fictitious loans to solicit even more campaign donations.

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However, Santos isn’t running for his old seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional District just east of Queens, he’s running in New York’s 1st Congressional District to challenge the Republican who led the charge to oust him, Rep. Nick LaLota. 

“Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1,” Santos posted on X Thursday, March 7. “I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country.”

“George Santos is one of the most bizarre people I have ever met. And I think much of what George Santos does is not serious, but we’re going to take it seriously,” Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., told the news outlet NY1. “I suspect this primary campaign, this primary challenge from Santos is retaliation for that.”  

Santos can run again even though he was expelled and currently faces 23 federal charges. He is scheduled to stand trial for those charges in September.

The Constitution has three requirements to run for office, including being 25 years old and being a citizen for at least seven years. Santos can also change districts because the Constitution only requires that candidates live in the state they want to represent, not the district. 

It’s also worth noting that Federal Election Commission rules allow him to pay himself a salary at the rate of $87,000 a year while he’s a candidate. The candidate salary is meant to help low- to middle-income Americans run for political office. Some other calculations that factor in may reduce the amount and he’ll have to reduce his candidate salary for every dollar he makes in outside income.

However, if Santos achieves an unlikely victory, the House could theoretically kick him out again, but he’d have to commit another crime separate from those he’s already accused of.

Lawmakers may call him a “serial fraudster,” but they won’t submit him to double jeopardy. 

Santos was replaced in the House by Democrat Tom Suozzi who won a special election in February.