House votes against expelling Rep. George Santos as he faces fraud charges

Ken Tran, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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WASHINGTON – The House has rejected a push to expel embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., as the lawmaker faces mounting legal challenges and growing criticism from his fellow Republicans.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., who led the push to expel Santos, has called his fellow New York lawmaker “unfit to serve.”

“George Santos' many deceptions coupled with the ever-expanding legal case against him further strengthen my long-held belief that he is unfit to serve in Congress, and for that reason, I will be sponsoring a resolution to immediately expel George Santos from the House of Representatives.,” D’Esposito said in a statement.

But lawmakers rejected the push 179-213, with Republicans appearing to defer to the House Ethics Committee, which released a statement Tuesday saying it will announce its next steps on its current investigation into Santos by Nov. 17.

The efforts to remove Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress could see a vote with the entire House as early as Wednesday.
The efforts to remove Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress could see a vote with the entire House as early as Wednesday.

In May, Santos was charged with criminal counts including money laundering, wire fraud and lying to Congress. I October, a new indictment threw additional charges at Santos, accusing him of stealing the identities of campaign donors and committing credit card fraud.

D’Esposito, along with other New York House Republicans, have criticized Santos since January when it was reported he fabricated most of his resume. They have kept up their concern as Santos faces  legal charges on alleged fraud and more.

The other New York GOP members who have spoken out about Santos include Reps. Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro and Brandon Williams.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., is leading an effort to expel Rep. George Santon, R-N.Y., from Congress.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., is leading an effort to expel Rep. George Santon, R-N.Y., from Congress.

Santos’ mounting legal troubles were enough justification for D’Esposito and his fellow New Yorkers, who are uniquely positioned as vulnerable Republicans heading into the 2024 election, hailing from districts President Joe Biden won in the 2020 election.

A member of Congress hasn't been expelled in more than 20 years, but unlike his potential predecessors, Santos is still working his way through the legal process and has yet to be convicted of any crimes. It's not clear if the push to remove Santos will be successful.

The New York lawmaker in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said last week he is entitled to due process and “not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: George Santos survives push to oust him from the House