New York Republicans launch effort to expel embattled GOP Rep. George Santos

A group of newly-elected Republican congressmen from New York has officially introduced a resolution aimed at expelling the embattled GOP Representative, George Santos, from the House of Representatives.

New York Representative Anthony D’Esposito, representing a district bordering Santos’ jurisdiction in central and southern Nassau County, took to the House floor on Thursday to present the expulsion measure. This rare occurrence signifies an attempt by lawmakers to remove a member of their own party from Congress.

The resolution, introduced as a “privileged resolution,” mandates that it must be considered within two legislative days of its proposal. The House is set to reconvene next Wednesday to deliberate on this matter.

During his speech, D’Esposito emphasized the accusations against Santos, including the alleged falsification of his educational and employment history and a history of misrepresenting connections to significant events such as the Holocaust, September 11 attacks, and the Pulse nightclub shooting. D’Esposito also highlighted the numerous criminal charges Santos is facing, both the initial 13 counts from May, and new charges unveiled earlier this month, including conspiracy, false statements, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud.

“Santos is a stain on the House,” D’Esposito stated on social media. “This conman must be expelled.”

Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges and affirmed his commitment to fighting his case, insisting on his innocence.

Joining D’Esposito on the House floor were Representatives Marc Molinaro, Mike Lawler, and Nick LaLota, all freshmen Republican congressmen from New York, representing districts that President Joe Biden won in the 2020 election, mirroring Santos’ situation.

In a statement on social media, Santos made it clear that he will not resign and asserted his right to due process, opposing any predetermined outcome some might be seeking.

Expelling Santos from the House necessitates the support of two-thirds of its members, which could be a challenging task in a narrowly divided chamber.

D’Esposito had expressed his intention to introduce the expulsion measure weeks ago, immediately after the new charges emerged. However, the House was unable to proceed due to the absence of a speaker, which was resolved when Republicans elected a new speaker following weeks of tumultuous infighting and Kevin McCarthy’s ouster earlier this month.

Santos argued that expelling him from Congress without a guilty verdict would establish a “dangerous precedent.” He further criticized the prioritization of political campaigns over the essential work in the House.

Following Santos’ initial indictment in May, the House, along party lines, chose to refer his case to the Ethics Committee rather than expel him, effectively sidelining the Democratic-led measure. Some Republicans advocated waiting for the Ethics Committee to complete its investigation before imposing any penalties against Santos.