Santos' threatened comeback bid hasn't raised a single dime

A new campaign committee from disgraced former Rep. 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 (R-N.Y.). He did not qualify for June’s GOP primary, though he theoretically could still run as an independent. LaLota, who represents a district further up Long Island than the one Santos held 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 charges and a House ethics panel found “substantial evidence” of criminal wrongdoing.

But in a report filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday morning, Santos’ new campaign committee reported no fundraising and no spending, suggesting he has not yet mounted an actual campaign operation.

Santos’ campaign committee from his previous congressional run also filed a report on Monday, continuing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Its latest report showed only a handful of small donations, while refunding $21,000 to donors.

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