FEC orders Santos to formally declare his 2024 candidacy or ‘disavow’ post-midterm fundraising

By Andrea Cambron, CNN

The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to GOP New York Rep. George Santos ordering him to officially declare that he is running for reelection in 2024, after he raised enough money following the midterm elections in November to trigger filing requirements.

In the letter, the FEC asks Santos needs to “either disavow these activities by notifying the Commission in writing that you are not a candidate, or redesignate your principal campaign committee by filing a Statement of Candidacy.”

According to an FEC review of Santos filings, his campaign committee “has no debts from the previous election cycle and has accepted contributions and/or made expenditures in support of your 2024 candidacy in excess of $5,000, thus meeting the definition of ‘candidate’ per Federal Election Campaign Laws.”

Santos has until March 14 to comply.

This comes as the embattled freshman is expected to face an investigation from the House Ethics Committee, a probe that could derail his already imperiled political career depending on the panel’s findings. Santos’ short tenure in Congress has been dominated by questions about his repeated fabrications about his background and resume and inquiries about his campaign finances.

The-CNN-Wire
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