The House on Wednesday night rejected a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos, deferring any future discipline to an ongoing ethics investigation into the lying Long Island Republican.
The resolution failed by 179 votes in favor and 213 against, despite the fact that 24 Republicans and 155 Democrats voted to expel the congressman who questioned the truth after his extensive 23-count federal indictment for embezzlement and fraud.
Four Republican lawmakers and 15 Democratic members voted present. Twenty-two were absent.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito and his fellow New York Republican representatives Marc Molinaro, Nick LaLota, Brandon Williams and Mike Lawler brought the privileged resolution to the floor last week, forcing a vote within two legislative days.
“All you have to do is look at the lies and deceptions in the resolution and the details of the accusations (multiple accusations) to see that Mr. Santos is a stain on this institution and is not fit to serve in the House of Representatives” said D. Esposito said in a speech on the House floor before the vote.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito and fellow New York Republican Reps. Marc Molinaro, Nick LaLota, Brandon Williams and Mike Lawler introduced the privileged resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY). Getty Images In a speech on the House floor, D’Esposito called Santos “a stain on this institution and is unfit to serve in the House of Representatives.” Getty Images
The resolution cites Santos’ lies about his personal background, education and previous employment, as well as his lies about members of his family escaping Nazi Germany and narrowly surviving the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
“This is not something that is joked about, it is lied about,” Lawler declared from the House before the vote on Santos’s falsehoods. “It’s not able!”
It also points to a recent guilty plea by his 2022 campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, who admitted to falsifying financial reports, one of which claimed the congressman personally donated $500,000 to his own campaign.
The resolution cites Santos’ lies about his personal background, education and previous employment, as well as his lies about his relatives escaping Nazi Germany.Getty Images
Santos criticized the House resolution as “politically motivated,” saying the “overlords of the Republican Party” and the lawmakers who introduced the resolution were acting as “judge, jury and executioner” against him.
“Now is not the time to set a dangerous precedent,” he added, pointing to expulsions from Congress that took place after its members were convicted.
Santos also said several members of Congress have maintained their support for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is under investigation on federal bribery charges, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who pleaded guilty on last week for falsely activating a fire alarm in one of the Capitol office buildings.
Santos criticized the House of Representatives resolution as “politically motivated.” Getty Images
“I must warn my colleagues that voting in favor of expulsion at this time would circumvent the judicial system’s right to due process to which I am entitled,” he said.
Two-thirds of the lower house would have had to vote in favor for Santos, 35, to be expelled from Congress.
Under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Republican lawmakers rejected an earlier move by Democrats to oust the freshman representative, opting instead to refer Santos’ many lies and financial misdeeds to the House Ethics Committee. the camera.
Under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Republican lawmakers rejected an earlier move by Democrats to expel the freshman representative.Getty Images
House Democrats criticized the New York Republican delegation for having missed an earlier opportunity to impeach Santos, and their political campaign arm accused them of having “knowingly stopped the expulsion from Congress of their criminally accused colleague.” .
In an expected turn, Santos gave up his time to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who supported D’Esposito’s expulsion resolution while criticizing Republican lawmakers for delaying the vote.
On Tuesday, the House panel released an interim report saying it had “contacted approximately 40 witnesses, reviewed more than 170,000 pages of documents, and authorized 37 subpoenas.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also expressed a bleak view of the expulsion effort in an interview with Fox News last week.
The committee also announced that its “next course of action” against the 3rd District representative would be implemented “on or before November 17.”
Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from his federal indictment.
At least nine Republican candidates have announced challenges in the 2024 primaries, as the congressman has refused to resign.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also expressed a bleak view of the ouster effort in an interview with Fox News last week, noting that Republicans had “a four-seat majority in the House.” ” and that Santos should be given “due process.” “
The House has expelled only five of its members in its history. Getty Images
But even after Johnson’s comments, New York Republicans remained steadfast in their expulsion campaign hours before the resolution reached the floor, circulating a letter to their colleagues urging them to expel Santos.
“The United States Congress must always maintain the highest standards and ensure accountability for those who have taken advantage of the American people, regardless of political party,” they wrote.
“Many have rightly called for the resignation and expulsion of Senator Bob Menéndez and we see no difference in the case of George Santos. We must lead by example. We must rise to the occasion. We must do the right thing.”
The House has expelled only five of its members in its history, with Ohio Democrat James Traficant the last to be expelled in 2002, after being convicted of bribery, extortion and tax evasion.
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