Candidate for Santos’ old seat is convicted in capitol riot charges after testifying he had ‘no idea’ Congress met in the Capitol
One standout among the Republican candidates competing to fill George Santos’s vacant congressional seat is Philip Grillo.
Notably, Grillo, now convicted for obstructing the body he aspires to join, participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. During the incident, he entered and exited the building multiple times, even through a broken window.
Caught on camera during the protest, Grillo, 49, was interviewed about his presence. The Justice Department revealed instances of him pushing against police officers during his third entry and, in a cellphone recording, smoking marijuana inside the Capitol while engaging with fellow rioters.
“I’m here to stop the steal,” he said, according to the justice department. “It’s our f* House!”
During his trial, Grillo claimed to have “no idea” that Congress convened inside the Capitol. This week, he was found guilty of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, along with several misdemeanors, including entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct in the Capitol.
Grillo now joins the over 1,230 individuals facing charges related to the January 6 attempt to block the certification of the 2020 election results.
Notably, he registered as a candidate for New York’s third congressional district seat in May, just days before Santos’s indictment on charges of fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements. Santos, a Republican, held the seat until his recent expulsion.
