Politics- Rep. George Santos, facing his own likely expulsion, says he's pushing to expel Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
- Bowman pulled a fire alarm in a House office building in September.
Facing his own likely expulsion vote, Rep. George Santos says he intends to force a vote on expelling fellow New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman from Congress.
The New York Republican characterized it as a matter of "consistency" at a Thursday morning press conference, pointing to the Democratic congressman's pulling of a fire alarm in a House office building in October.
"He took a plea deal for pulling a fire alarm, a fire alarm which obstructed and delayed an official hearing and proceeding on the House floor," Santos said of Bowman.
Santos said that if a Republican had done the same, they would be "charged with obstructing a congressional hearing."
"That's why, today at noon, I'm going to be introducing a privileged motion for expulsion of convicted and guilty pleated Congressman Jamaal Bowman," said Santos.
Bowman, a progressive "Squad" member, pulled the fire alarm as the House prepared to vote on a bill to avert a government shutdown at the end of September.
WATCH: I was the first reporter to get my hands on the surveillance footage of Rep. Bowman pulling the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Bldg.
— Kevin Frey (@KevinFreyTV) October 27, 2023
Story recapping the video and his Thursday court appearance/guilty plea, here: https://t.co/9BG6k4AYt3 pic.twitter.com/EjdpfSugT3
He has claimed that it was an accident caused by confusion about the signage on a nearby door, but critics have argued that the congressman should have known better.
Last month, Bowman pleaded guilty to pulling a false fire alarm and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine.
"I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped," Bowman said in a statement at that time, adding that Republicans "will attempt to use this to distract everyone from their mess."
In a brief statement, Bowman called Santos's expulsion gambit a "meaningless stunt."
"No one in Congress, or anywhere in America, takes soon-to-be former Congressman George Santos seriously," said Bowman. "This is just another meaningless stunt in his long history of cons, antics, and outright fraud."
It remains unclear whether Santos will go through with the plan, but just like any other member of the House, he has the ability to force such a vote.
On Thursday morning, Santos also took the opportunity to issue a series of broad complaints about the House Ethics Committee, arguing that he had been singled out.
And he also declined to resign, despite the wishes of some in House GOP leadership to avoid a contentious expulsion vote.
Santos has said he'll wear his expulsion as a "badge of honor."