House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) swiftly introduced a resolution on Friday seeking the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), just within 24 hours of the committee releasing its damning report on the embattled lawmaker.
The resolution, spanning five pages, details the Ethics Committee’s extensive report, which concluded that there is “substantial evidence” of the first-term congressman violating federal criminal laws. The report also highlights the 23 federal criminal charges currently faced by the New York Republican.
In a statement, Guest asserted, “The evidence uncovered in the Ethics Committee’s Investigative Subcommittee investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion. So, separate from the Committee process and my role as Chairman, I have filed an expulsion resolution.”
Guest has the option to present the expulsion measure as a privileged resolution when the House reconvenes post-Thanksgiving. This move would set the stage for a third vote on removing the embattled lawmaker from office.
If successful, the vote would bring an end to Santos’s remarkable and often perplexing tenure in Congress, marking the conclusion of the prolonged effort to oust the New York Republican amid increasing legal complications.
The potential expulsion holds significant historical and political ramifications. Santos, if expelled, would be the sixth lawmaker ever removed from the House, and notably, the first without a conviction on criminal charges or accusations of disloyalty to the Union. The expulsion would also diminish the already slim House GOP majority by one member, triggering a special election in New York’s 3rd Congressional District.
The current expulsion initiative is gaining momentum, with lawmakers who previously opposed Santos’s removal now expressing support, citing the scathing Ethics report.
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) commented, “The report’s findings are extremely damning, and I would vote to expel.” Similarly, Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.), who voted against expulsion earlier, stated, “Rep. Santos has received his due process. This report is fully damning. I will vote to expel him.”
The 56-page report revealed that Santos “blatantly stole from his campaign,” misusing official funds on trips and cosmetic procedures. The report also detailed expenditures on luxury items, personal credit cards, debt, and small purchases from OnlyFans, an adult content platform.
Moreover, the committee’s investigation found that Santos “reported fictitious loans to his political committees to induce donors and party committees to make further contributions to his campaign.”
The report concluded, “[T]he evidence uncovered by the Investigative Subcommittee (ISC) revealed that Representative George Santos cannot be trusted. At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles.”
If a vote on Guest’s expulsion resolution is forced, it would mark the third instance of the House considering Santos’s removal from office. The most recent attempt earlier this month fell short, with a vote of 213-179-19, lacking the required majority support. In May, the chamber voted to refer a Santos expulsion resolution to the Ethics Committee, a move criticized as redundant given the ongoing committee investigation.
