“I am officially suspending my petitioning in #NY01 to access the ballot as a Republican and will be filling to run as an independent,” Santos wrote on X.
He cited “today’s embarrassing showing in the House,” as his reasoning for switching to an independent run. The Republican-led House earlier Friday voted to pass a $1.2 trillion spending bill hours ahead of a government shutdown deadline.
Santos was previously elected and sworn in to serve in New York’s Third District, but he was expelled in December amid federal criminal charges.
Santos was first charged in May with 13 counts including wire fraud and money laundering. In October, Santos was hit with a 23-count superseding indictment. He has pled not guilty to all charges.
Before his expulsion, a 56-page House Ethics Committee report concluded that there was “substantial evidence” that Santos “violated federal criminal laws,” including using campaign funds for personal purposes and filing false campaign reports.
In a letter to his House colleagues before the vote, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, claimed Santos personally defrauded him and his mother.
In a February special election, Democrat Tom Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilip to succeed Santos in the Long Island district.
Earlier this month, Santos announced he would run as a Republican in New York’s First District, where he would face GOP Rep. Nick LaLota, one of the Republicans who voted to expel Santos, in a primary.
In order to appear on the ballot as an independent, Santos will have to collect and file 3,500 petition signatures from voters in the district. According to the state board of elections, he can start collecting those signatures on April 16 and must submit them to the Suffolk County Board of Elections by May 28.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com