In a surprising turn of events, expelled New York Republican congressman George Santos has expressed his intention to run for office once again. This time, Santos is set to challenge one of the Republicans who played a significant role in his ousting during a historic, bipartisan congressional vote last year.

According to the paperwork filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, Santos plans to run for the 1st Congressional District, a Republican-leaning suburban seat in Suffolk, Long Island. Representative Nick LaLota (R) currently represents this district, which is further east and more Republican-leaning than the district that initially elected Santos in 2022.

Santos' expulsion from the House in December marked a significant action, as it had only been taken five times in U.S. history and not for more than 20 years. The decision came in response to a House Ethics Committee report that revealed a multitude of alleged crimes and ethical lapses. Key among these was Santos' fabrication of crucial elements of his biography.

The report also accused Santos of a range of misconduct, including misappropriation of campaign funds, deceiving donors about contribution usage, creating fictitious loans, and engaging in fraudulent business transactions. Allegedly, Santos used substantial sums of money for personal enrichment, such as visits to spas, casinos, and high-end shopping trips. Additionally, he was accused of making payments to a subscription site featuring adult content. Santos has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Currently, Santos is facing 23 federal criminal charges, including fraud, money laundering, falsifying records, and aggravated identity theft. Despite pleading not guilty to these charges, they continue to cast a shadow over his political career.

After Santos' expulsion, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to the seat in New York's 3rd Congressional District, a position he held for three terms before running for governor.

In response to Santos' announcement, Representative Nick LaLota expressed determination to hold him accountable and defeat him in a primary election. Former CNN host John Avlon, a Democrat, also welcomed the opportunity to challenge Santos in the 1st Congressional District, referring to the unfolding situation as a "circus."

Interestingly, Santos made a surprise visit to the Capitol during President Biden's State of the Union address, taking advantage of his former House member privileges, which include access to the House floor. However, Republican House staffers reportedly asked him to relocate to accommodate current members.

Following his expulsion, Santos attempted to capitalize on his notoriety by opening an account on Cameo. He quickly earned a significant income by creating personalized videos for a fee, charging $350 per video as of Thursday night.

As Santos prepares for his political comeback, the allegations and charges against him will undoubtedly come into sharp focus. Only time will tell how his bid for office resonates with voters in the 1st Congressional District.