- Faced allegations of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act by allegedly transferring funds from a state committee to a federal committee, raising possible campaign finance law issues (East Hampton Star).
- Responded to campaign finance accusations with strong denials, with his spokesperson dismissing the FEC complaint as politically motivated rather than substantively addressing the legal concerns (East Hampton Star).
- Previously accused a political opponent’s raise of being “political payback,” highlighting concerns about patronage and the influence of party leaders in local government decisions (Newsday, 2018).
- Has frequently called for ethics investigations and strong action against colleagues accused of fraud, which, if inconsistently applied or combined with any personal campaign finance issues, could raise charges of hypocrisy (Long Island Press, 3/7/23; East Hampton Star).
- His prominent role in seeking the expulsion of Rep. George Santos for alleged fraudulent campaign conduct increases scrutiny of LaLota’s own campaign finances and ethics, making any missteps especially damaging (Newsday, 3/7/24).
2023: Nick LaLota Helped Introduce Resolution To Expel George Santos According to a press release from Rep. Nick LaLota, "Today, New York First Congressional District Representative Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) helped introduce a privileged resolution to expel George Santos from the House of Representatives for his endless list of lies and defrauding of voters and donors." [Press Release - Rep. Nick LaLota, 10/26/23]
2023: Nick LaLota Called For George Santos To Resign Or Be Expelled According to a press release from Rep. Nick LaLota, "He has had plenty of time to do the right thing and resign. Since he hasn’t shown any ounce of integrity or a moral compass, the only logical step is to expel him from Congress." [Press Release - Rep. Nick LaLota, 10/26/23]
2023: Nick LaLota Stated George Santos Deserved Prison, Not Congress According to a press release from Rep. Nick LaLota, "George Santos deserves to be in prison, not in Congress. He lied to voters, donors, and party leaders to get to this point, committing numerous acts of fraud." [Press Release - Rep. Nick LaLota, 10/26/23]
December 27, 2022: Nick LaLota Called For Ethics Investigation Into George Santos' Claims According to Wikipedia, "On December 27, 2022, LaLota became one of the first Republicans to call for a full House Ethics Committee investigation into the false claims made by his fellow Long Island Republican, representative-elect George Santos. 'New Yorkers deserve the truth and House Republicans deserve an opportunity to govern without this distraction', LaLota said." [Wikipedia, 6/2/24]
2016: Nick LaLota Criticized Schaffer's Influence Over Town Clerk's Decision According to Newsday, "LaLota said that Schaffer's dual roles as party leader and Babylon Town supervisor compromised the process in which Quirk, a Democrat, will evaluate the petition's validity. 'It's preposterous, the amount of power that one man has,' LaLota said, arguing that Quirk depends on Schaffer's goodwill to keep her job. 'You have a party chairman who controls the nominating process of an individual's re-election, who has direct control over someone's future political prospects.'" [Newsday (New York), 9/23/16]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Called For House Ethics Committee Investigation Into George Santos According to CBS - 11 WJHL, "LaLota also called for the House Ethics Committee to launch an investigation into Santos last month." [CBS - 11 WJHL, 1/17/23]
May 2023: Nick LaLota Supported Referring Santos Case To House Ethics Committee As Next Best Option According to Newsday (New York), "While I would have preferred there to be enough votes to expel the sociopath scam artist, Congressman D'Esposito has spearheaded the next best option: To refer this matter to the Ethics Committee," LaLota wrote. [Newsday (New York), 5/18/23]
May 2023: Nick LaLota Expressed Preference For Santos Expulsion But Accepted Ethics Referral As Next Best Option According to Oyster Bay Guardian, "'While I would have preferred there to be enough votes to expel the sociopath scam artist, Congressman D'Esposito has spearheaded the next best option - to refer this matter to the Ethics Committee, where we expect a result within 60 days for the terrible liar to be gone, by resignation or expulsion, before August recess,' said LaLota in a statement." [Oyster Bay Guardian (New York), 5/26/23]
2023: Nick LaLota Joined Calls For George Santos’s Expulsion From Congress According to Glen Cove Herald Gazette, "LaLota, whose district encompasses the North Shore of Suffolk County, joined D'Esposito in this demand [for George Santos’s resignation] shortly thereafter [early January]." [Glen Cove Herald Gazette, 5/28/23]
May 2023: Nick LaLota Supported Referring Santos’s Potential Expulsion To House Ethics Committee According to Glen Cove Herald Gazette, "LaLota spoke in support of D'Esposito after the vote had passed. 'While I would have preferred there to be enough votes to expel the sociopath scam artist, Congressman D'Esposito has spearheaded the next best option to refer this matter to the Ethics Committee, where we expect a result within 60 days for the terrible liar to be gone, by resignation or expulsion, before August recess,' said LaLota in a statement." [Glen Cove Herald Gazette, 5/28/23]
June 2023: LaLota Joined D'Esposito In Calling For Santos' Expulsion From Congress According to Herald Citizen, "LaLota, whose district encompasses the North Shore of Suffolk County, then joined D'Esposito in the call for Santos' expulsion." [Herald Citizen (New York), 6/11/23]
2023: Nick LaLota Called For Ethics Investigation Into George Santos According to City & State (New York), "After his victory but before taking office, LaLota became one of the first Republicans in the House to call for an Ethics Committee investigation into his Long Island colleague Rep. George Santos, who had also not taken office yet." [City & State (New York), 10/7/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Called On Santos To Resign According to City & State (New York), "And LaLota called on Santos to resign soon after taking office in January." [City & State (New York), 10/7/23]
2023: Nick LaLota Criticized George Santos's Fabricated Background And Supported Expulsion Effort According to Long Island Press, "'George Santos's lies are more widespread than even the most untrustworthy politicians,' LaLota said on the floor prior to the vote. 'Santos lied about everything about his professional background, from his family's wealth to working at Goldman Sachs and CitiGroup. Santos committed this fraud, this election fraud, to create an entirely new persona that voters could support.'" [Long Island Press (New York), 11/1/23]
November 2023: LaLota Co-Sponsored Motion To Expel George Santos According to Newsday, "Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-Island Park), the expulsion motion sponsor, and Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), a co-sponsor, said after the motion failed that some of the members voting no might be waiting to see the Ethics Committee report." [Newsday (New York), 11/2/23]
November 2023: LaLota Stated Ethics Report Might Sway House Votes On Santos Expulsion According to Newsday, "We expect the ethics committee report due in a couple of weeks to enlighten some of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle," LaLota said. "We expect a lot of those folks to change after the ethics committee report is unveiled." [Newsday (New York), 11/2/23]
November 2023: LaLota Voted To Expel Santos From The House According to Newsday, "How they voted [...] LaLota (R) YEA" [Newsday (New York), 11/2/23]
November 2023: LaLota Argued For Expelling Santos Due To Fabricated Background According to Newsday, "But LaLota argued it is time for a new precedent, saying 'if a candidate for Congress makes his entire life up in order to defraud voters' and succeeds, the House should 'expel the fraudster.'" [Newsday (New York), 11/2/23]
2023: LaLota Led Movement To Expel Santos From House According to Newsday, "D'Esposito and LaLota spearheaded a push to expel Santos from the House of Representatives, but the vote on Wednesday fell short. LaLota told CNN he thinks some members might change their minds once the House Ethics Committee finishes and reports its investigation into Santos, expected in about two weeks." [Newsday (New York), 11/4/23]
November 2023: Nick LaLota Called For The Expulsion Of George Santos From Congress According to Long Island Press (New York), "Joining Santos's call for the House to expel Santos was Rep. Nick LaLota, who represents Suffolk County's North Shore and the Forks of Long Island. LaLota had supported the initial vote as well. 'George Santos is a total fraud who stole an election to get to Congress,' LaLota wrote on Twitter. 'The House must use our Constitutional expulsion powers. This will let the Third District participate in a valid election.'" [Long Island Press (New York), 11/16/23]
November 2023: Nick LaLota Expressed Support For Expelling George Santos According to CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 'I'm eagerly awaiting the report,' Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told reporters Wednesday. [CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 11/16/23]
November 2023: Nick LaLota Indicated He Would Move To Force A Vote On Expelling Santos After Ethics Report Release According to CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 'LaLota, meanwhile, has indicated that he would move to force a vote on booting Santos once the Ethics Committee's work is out but was coy on the particulars Wednesday, appearing to defer to the reaction the report ultimately generates.' [CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 11/16/23]
November 2023: Nick LaLota Maintained Support For Expelling Santos Regardless of Ethics Report Timing According to CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 'I don't know the timing. I think that the substance of the report will drive other members to get to yes. I'm a yes from a long time ago on expulsion. But we'll see what gets other of my colleagues to yes,' LaLota told reporters Wednesday. [CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 11/16/23]
November 2023: Nick LaLota Voiced Certainty That Santos Did Not Deserve To Serve In House According to CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 'I don't need an Ethics report to tell me what I already know,' LaLota said when pressed on the panel's decision. 'I am certain that he does not deserve to be a member of the House of Representatives.' [CBS - 11 WJHL (Johnson City, Tennessee), 11/16/23]
2023: Nick LaLota Led New York Republicans To Expel Santos Following Indictment According to New York Times, "He was one of the leaders of a group of New York Republicans who pushed their colleagues to expel Mr. Santos after he was indicted last May; the effort gained momentum after Mr. Santos was hit with even more charges in October." [New York Times, 3/7/24]
2018: Republican Commissioner Nick LaLota Alleged Babylon Raise Was Political Payback According to Newsday, 'LaLota, who is also the Republican Commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, noted that Kluesener loaned $50,000 to the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, of which Schaffer is chairman, on Oct. 16. Kluesener's raise "reeks of political payback," LaLota said.' [Newsday (New York), 1/17/18]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Called For DOJ And FEC To Freeze George Santos's Campaign Funds According to CBS - 11 WJHL, "Rep. Nick LaLota is calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to freeze fellow New York Republican Rep. George Santos's campaign accounts amid escalating scrutiny of the new lawmaker's false claims before and during his successful House bid last year." [CBS - 11 WJHL, 1/17/23]
January 2023: LaLota Stated Intent To Lead Effort To Grant Agencies Authority To Freeze Santos's Funds According to CBS - 11 WJHL, 'To the extent there is actually any real money in the campaign account of Congressman George Santos, the funds should be immediately frozen by the United States Department of Justice or Federal Election Commission,' reads LaLota's statement, which he posted on Twitter on Sunday. 'If those federal agencies need more authority to do so, I'll take the lead.' [CBS - 11 WJHL, 1/17/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Urged DOJ And FEC To Freeze Santos' Campaign Account According to The Journal News, "LaLota also urged the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission to freeze Santos' campaign account - if it actually contains funds. 'The evidence that Congressman Santos fraudulently induced contributions is overwhelming and the ability to make his contributors at least partially whole should be preserved,' LaLota wrote on Facebook." [The Journal News (Westchester County, New York), 1/19/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Urged DOJ And FEC To Freeze Santos' Campaign Account According to The Corning Leader, "LaLota also urged the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission to freeze Santos' campaign account - if it actually contains funds. 'The evidence that Congressman Santos fraudulently induced contributions is overwhelming and the ability to make his contributors at least partially whole should be preserved,' LaLota wrote on Facebook." [Corning Leader (New York), 1/19/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Urged DOJ And FEC To Freeze Santos' Campaign Account According to Times Herald-Record (New York), "LaLota also urged the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission to freeze Santos' campaign account - if it actually contains funds. 'The evidence that Congressman Santos fraudulently induced contributions is overwhelming and the ability to make his contributors at least partially whole should be preserved,' LaLota wrote on Facebook." [Times Herald-Record (New York), 1/19/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Urged DOJ And FEC To Freeze George Santos' Campaign Account According to Poughkeepsie Journal, "LaLota also urged the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission to freeze Santos' campaign account - if it actually contains funds." [Poughkeepsie Journal (New York), 1/19/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Asserted Evidence Of Fraudulent Inducement Of Contributions To Santos' Campaign Was Overwhelming According to Poughkeepsie Journal, "'The evidence that Congressman Santos fraudulently induced contributions is overwhelming and the ability to make his contributors at least partially whole should be preserved,' LaLota wrote on Facebook." [Poughkeepsie Journal (New York), 1/19/23]
Nick LaLota Urged DOJ And FEC To Freeze Santos’ Campaign Account In January 2023 According to The Ithaca Journal (New York), "LaLota also urged the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission to freeze Santos' campaign account - if it actually contains funds. 'The evidence that Congressman Santos fraudulently induced contributions is overwhelming and the ability to make his contributors at least partially whole should be preserved,' LaLota wrote on Facebook." [The Ithaca Journal (New York), 1/20/23]
January 2023: Nick LaLota Urged Return Of Campaign Contributions To George Santos's Donors After Due Process According to CBS - 11 WJHL, 'After Congressman Santos receives the proper Due Process such as a House Ethics investigation or criminal proceedings or both the funds should be returned to the contributors he duped,' [LaLota] added. 'The DOJ or FEC must act now to ensure there is something to actually return to the victims of Santos' financial scam.' [CBS - 11 WJHL, 1/17/23]
March 2023: Nick LaLota Co-Sponsored Bills Banning Congressional Profiting From Election Law Violations According to Long Island Press, "Congressmen Anthony D'Esposito (R-Island Park) and Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday that would prohibit members of Congress who violate federal election laws from profiting off those actions, taking aim at Rep. George Santos (R-Nassau/Queens)." [Long Island Press (New York), 3/7/23]
Federal Election Campaign Act Prohibited Nick LaLota From Transferring Funds Between State And Federal Committees According to East Hampton Star, "The Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits federal candidates from transferring money or assets from their state committees to their federal committees. ‘Here, there is irrefutable evidence that Mr. LaLota’s State Committee directly transferred $1,000 to the Federal Committee,’ according to the complaint." [East Hampton Star, 4/27/23]
April 2023: LaLota’s Spokesman Denied Merit Of FEC Complaint According to East Hampton Star, "Will Kiley, a spokesman for Mr. LaLota, said yesterday that ‘the fact the first time we’re seeing this accusation is from the media, and not from the F.E.C. itself, demonstrates that the complaint is political and weak — a mere attention-grabbing move from a shady do-nothing progressive group that, unlike Congressman Nick LaLota, doesn’t actually care about delivering real results for Long Island families, protecting our environment, and supporting veterans. I wish them the best in wasting their time and money on baseless accusations.’" [East Hampton Star, 4/27/23]
December 2023: Nick LaLota Cited Foreign Payments To Biden Family As Justification For Inquiry According to Long Island Press (New York), "Rep. LaLota echoed this sentiment on Twitter. 'The President's family was paid millions from foreign entities in China and Ukraine,' LaLota wrote. 'They were paid either because they were qualified and performed legitimate work or as part of an influence scheme. The impeachment inquiry will help America to know the truth.'" [Long Island Press (New York), 12/13/23]