RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - White House gate crasher Tareq Salahi says he plans to run for governor of Virginia next year. Salahi completed a declaration of candidacy, but it's meaningless until Jan. 1 under state law.

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A State Board of Elections official says the agency that oversees Virginia elections can't accept the declaration until the year in which the election is scheduled.

Salahi's plans to run as a Republican comes just days after another GOP candidate for governor, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, filed a lawsuit against Salahi and his winery, claiming they cheated customers who bought winery tours.

Salahi gained fleeting fame with his now estranged wife as uninvited guests to a 2009 White House state dinner. On Nov. 24, 2009, he and his wife, Michaele, showed up uninvited to a state dinner put on for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Cuccinelli's lawsuit over Oasis Winery was the tip of the iceberg when it comes to issues Tareq has faced over the past year. In February, his charity was fined thousands of dollars for making false statements and soliciting donations without being registered with the state.

Several months earlier, he filed for divorce from his wife after she ran off with Neal Schon, the lead guitarist from the band Journey.