Title: New York Congressman George Santos Faces Potential Expulsion Following Fresh Federal Charges
Subtitle: Republican colleague initiates motion to remove the indicted representative from Congress
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Date: October 26, 2023
WASHINGTON – In a shocking development, a New York state Republican has made a privileged motion in the U.S. House of Representatives to expel fellow Republican and indicted Congressman George Santos from Congress. The motion has forced the chamber to hold a vote on the question, following the filing of 23 new federal criminal counts against Santos earlier this month.
The charges against Santos, who represents a district including parts of New York City and its eastern suburbs, include allegations of inflating his campaign’s fundraising numbers and charging campaign contributors’ credit cards without their consent. These allegations have brought forth serious concerns about his suitability to serve as a United States representative.
Representative Anthony D’Esposito, standing alongside fellow New York Republicans Nick LaLota, Marc Molinaro, and Mike Lawler, expressed his stance on the matter, stating, “George Santos is not fit to serve his constituents as a United States representative.”
Santos, who has previously pleaded not guilty to an initial indictment in May, has reiterated his innocence and is expected to plead not guilty to the new charges as well. He remains free on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on Friday.
Responding to D’Esposito’s motion, Santos took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to assert his position, tweeting, “Three points of clarification: 1. I have not cleared out my office. 2. I’m not resigning. 3. I’m entitled to due process and not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking. God bless!”
Under House rules, lawmakers are required to act on a privileged motion within two legislative days. The House is expected to hold votes on Wednesday. However, with a narrow 221-212 majority, Republican leadership has not yet taken action against Santos, and it remains to be seen how the vote will unfold.
Newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson, in an interview on Fox News, emphasized that due process must be followed. He stated, “If we’re going to expel people from Congress just because they’re charged with a crime… that’s a problem.”
It is worth noting that Republican leaders could attempt to avoid an expulsion vote by moving to table the measure or refer it to a committee.
D’Esposito and his fellow New York Republicans announced their plans to seek Santos’ expulsion on October 11, although the House had been closed for three weeks after the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
With two-thirds of members in the House required to support the motion for it to pass, Democrats, along with over a dozen Republicans, have called for Santos’ expulsion. The outcome of the vote will be closely watched to determine the fate of Congressman George Santos.
Disclaimer: This article is based on available information and does not reflect the final verdict. The information provided is subject to change as more details emerge.
Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Stephen Coates and Christian Schmollinger
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