Gay Republican Rep. George Santos of New York announced Monday evening that he is, in fact, running for reelection.
It comes months after Santos was caught lying about significant parts of his biography. The fabulist lawmaker also faces ethics investigations over accusations of sexual misconduct and his finances. He is the focus of several criminal inquiries as well.
In his announcement, Santos referred to growing up with a single mother and that “thanks to the American dream, a poor boy of immigrant parents in Queens can grow up to serve his community in the halls of Congress.”
He noted that he was the first out gay Republican elected to Congress.
Santos left out the controversies around his election and his history. Additionally, he left out that campaign finance filings show him refunding more money than he’s raising, according to reporting by the New York Times.
“We need a fighter who knows the district and can serve the people fearlessly, and independent of local or national party influence,” Santos said. “Good isn’t good enough, and I’m not shy about doing what it takes to get the job done.”
Related: 19 of George Santos's Many, Many, Many Lies and Scandals
Last month, Santos declared to run again after filing paperwork for his bid.
Among his lies were that he is Jewish, he had employees that died in the Pulse nightclub shooting, he went to college, he worked for top financial firms, and his mother died on 9/11.
Santos has also stepped away temporarily from two congressional committees he had been appointed to — at the urging of House leadership.
A January Siena poll found that he’s not popular in his district. Almost 80 percent of constituents believe he should resign from Congress.
This is a developing story…