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U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) stands alone at the back of the House chamber during a second round of voting that once again failed to elect a new Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
In the U.S. House of Representatives, a New York state Republican initiated a privileged motion to expel his fellow Republican, George Santos, from Congress. This action compels the House to hold a vote on Santos's expulsion.
The motion followed the recent filing of 23 new federal criminal charges against George Santos, a first-term U.S. congressman. These charges accuse him of inflating his campaign's fundraising figures and unlawfully charging campaign contributors' credit cards.
Representative Anthony D'Esposito, backed by fellow New York Republicans Nick LaLota, Marc Molinaro, and Mike Lawler, asserted, "George Santos is not fit to serve his constituents as a United States representative."
George Santos, who represents parts of New York City and its eastern suburbs, has been entangled in controversy since his election in November 2022. He initially faced allegations of falsifying his resume and is now facing a criminal indictment. Santos pleaded not guilty to the first indictment in May and has expressed his intention to do the same for the new charges. He is currently free on $500,000 bail and is scheduled for a court status conference on Friday.
Following D'Esposito's motion, Santos responded on social media, emphasizing that he has not resigned, clearing out his office, and has the right to due process.
According to House rules, lawmakers are required to address a privileged motion within two legislative days. The House is anticipated to hold votes on Wednesday.
Given the narrow 221-212 Republican majority in the House, the Republican leadership has not taken action against Santos. Speaker Mike Johnson, who was recently elected, emphasized that Santos deserves due process and expressed concerns about expelling members charged with crimes.
Republican leaders may attempt to avoid an expulsion vote by moving to table the motion or refer it to a committee.
D'Esposito and his fellow New York Republicans announced their intent to seek Santos's expulsion on October 11. However, the House had been closed for three weeks following the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy until Wednesday.
The charges against Santos encompass false statements, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud. These allegations involve Santos using the credit card information of previous campaign donors to make additional contributions.
Nick LaLota stated, "He has had plenty of time to do the right thing and resign. The only logical step is to expel him from Congress."
To pass, the motion necessitates support from two-thirds of House members, equating to 290 votes. While Democrats have repeatedly called for Santos's expulsion, more than a dozen Republicans have expressed the same sentiment.
