George Santos survives potential expulsion from Congress. Why did 31 Democrats help him?

Rep. George Santos — the embattled New York Republican — survived a rare expulsion attempt thanks, in part, to a handful of unlikely allies across the aisle.

A small group of 31 Democrats voted against a resolution to expel Santos from Congress on Nov. 1, opting to let their political foe stay put.

With 182 Republicans also opposing the resolution, it fell far short of the two-thirds majority required to pass.

Following the failed vote — which came after Santos was charged with fraud, conspiracy and aggravated identity theft — he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “Tonight was a victory for due process not me.”

Some Democrats who voted against expulsion, a drastic and seldom used measure, seemed to be in agreement.

Why did Democrats help save Santos?

Of the 31 Democrats who voted against expelling Santos, a few of them publicly outlined their reasoning.

“This would be a terrible precedent to set, expelling people who have not been convicted of a crime and without internal due process,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said in a statement echoed by Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania.

Raskin said he would vote to expel Santos only if he is convicted of his criminal charges, which he has pleaded not guilty to, or if a congressional investigation finds him guilty of ethics offenses.

In February, a House investigation subcommittee was formed to look into the ethics violations Santos is accused of. The committee, which said it has contacted dozens of witnesses and reviewed reams of documents, will have an update by Nov. 17.

Santos’ New York trial is set to begin on Sept. 9, 2024, according to Reuters.

A spokesperson for Santos’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Nov. 2.

“In these times of war, chaos, insurrection, division and lawlessness, the rule of law is a lifeline for us,” Raskin said.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut wrote on X, “In this country, one is presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty. No exceptions.”

He added, “Sorry, but I’m not” messing around with the presumption of innocence.

Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia called the resolution “premature” in a statement posted on X, adding “we must stop the cheapening of the censure and expulsion processes for political expediency.”

It’s also possible Democrats believe that Santos’ continued presence in Congress will discredit or otherwise disrupt Republicans.

Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts may have hinted at this when he wrote on X, “Republicans will have to live with George Santos in their conference until he resigns, is convicted, or is voted out.”

Another factor that may have affected Democrats’ decision-making is the simple mathematical fact that Democrats — even with the help of a few breakaway Republicans — don’t have the numbers to reach a two-thirds majority in the House.

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