A group of freshman House Republicans from New York on Thursday forced a vote on a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from the House. The rare instance of lawmakers trying to kick a member of their own party out of Congress signifies the distinct political peril Santos faces as a result of his federal criminal prosecution.
The latest GOP-led expulsion effort was precipitated by a superseding indictment earlier this month that hit Santos with 10 new charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.) introduced a so-called privileged motion on Thursday to force a vote the measure next week.
Santos said in a post on X that he is “not resigning” and is “entitled to due process and not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking.” A spokesperson for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) did not say how he plans to proceed with the vote. When Democrats triggered a vote on expelling Santos, Republican leaders voted to refer the measure to the Ethics Committee, citing his right to due process.
The referral motion received unanimous support from Republicans including the New Yorkers, who said they expected swift action from the Ethics Committee. The panel has so far not released any findings.
Source: Axios
