Santos’ comeback threat didn’t raise a single penny

A new campaign committee for former congressman George Santos raised no money and reported no activity in March, calling into question his plans to return to Congress.

Santos announced last month that he planned to mount a primary challenge to Rep. Nick LaLota (RN.Y.). He did not qualify for the Republican Party primary in June, although he could theoretically still run as an independent. LaLota, who represents a district further up Long Island than the one Santos controlled before he was expelled, was among the Republicans who led the charge to expel Santos from Congress after he was indicted on nearly two dozen counts and a panel of Chamber ethics considered “substantial evidence” of criminal irregularities.

But in a report filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday morning, Santos’ new campaign committee reported no fundraising or spending, suggesting he has yet to mount a real campaign operation.

Santos’ campaign committee from his previous run for Congress also filed a report Monday, continuing to report debts running into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Its latest report showed just a handful of small donations, while it refunded $21,000 to donors.

The campaign committee is among the sources of Santos’ legal troubles. He allegedly falsified personal loans to the campaign and charged donors’ credit cards without their permission, according to prosecutors. Santos denied all accusations.

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