New York Republicans are finally ready to expel George Santos
- GOP Rep. George Santos' fellow New Yorkers have had enough.
- All six of his fellow freshmen Republican New York colleagues now support kicking him out of Congress.
Rep. George Santos' fellow New York Republicans have had enough.
All six of Santos' fellow New York freshmen GOP lawmakers said on Wednesday that would support an effort to expel Santos from the House, on the heels of a superseding indictment that carries the new bombshell accusation that Santos stole the identities of some campaign donors so he could pay his own campaign more.
"George Santos' many deceptions coupled with the ever-expanding legal case against him further strengthen my long held belief that he is unfit to serve in Congress, and for that reason, I will be sponsoring a resolution to immediately expel George Santos from the House of Representatives," Rep. Anthony D'Esposito said in a statement post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
D'Esposito said that fellow Reps. Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Nick Langworthy, and Brandon Williams all support his efforts.
Santos, who has repeatedly professed his innocence, slammed the resolution, arguing it would "set a dangerous precedent" to throw him out.
"Amidst this chaotic mix, more wrenches are being thrown, further complicating matters," Santos said in a statement. "It is disheartening to witness my colleagues prioritize their campaigns over the essential work that needs to be done."
The New Yorker's move against Santos is notable as they previously led the effort in May to sidestep House Democrats' push to expel Santos. At the time, the House voted on party lines to refer Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia's expulsion resolution to the House Ethics Committee. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy previously said the ethics panel should complete its own probe before the House takes action, though McCarthy no longer holds a leadership position for the time being.
"Great to hear that the New York Republican Freshmen are finally ready to expel fraudster George Santos from Congress. Months ago, every single one of them voted against expelling Santos," Garcia said in a statement. "He has been able to get away with his fraud and lies for far too long while House Republicans have sat by and protected him."
The House has only expelled five lawmakers in its history, underlining the severity of the punishment. It requires 2/3rds of the chamber to vote in favor of kicking a member out. If only the seven New Yorkers were to change their votes, the House would still fall well short of that high threshold. The last time the House voted to expel a lawmaker was in 2002 when it kicked out Rep. James A. Traficant, an Ohio Democrat, following his conviction on ten felony counts, including bribery.
Expelling Santos would further narrow House Republicans' increasingly slim majority. Right now, the GOP can only afford to lose four votes on any measure if Democrats unite in opposition. Unlike in the Senate, House vacancies must be filled by special election — meaning there is no quick way to replace Santos if he is kicked out.
Right now, Santos' status is overshadowed by broader House GOP drama following McCarthy's historic ouster. There is some debate if acting Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry holds any meaningful power until a new speaker is elected. House Republicans are meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday with the hopes of completing the first step in finding a new leader.