How Iowa's 4 Republican members of Congress voted on expelling embattled Rep. George Santos

All four of Iowa's Republican members of Congress have voted to expel their scandal-plagued GOP colleague, U.S. Rep. George Santos, from the U.S. House of Representatives.

Santos, a first-term representative from New York, was removed from Congress by a vote of 311-114, with Iowa's U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra all joining with the bipartisan majority in voting to expel him from the House.

A two-thirds vote of the chamber was required for expulsion.

Santos faces 23 federal charges that include money laundering, wire fraud, identity theft, credit card fraud and lying to Congress. He has pleaded not guilty.

The House Ethics Committee released a report in November that found "substantial evidence" that Santos has violated federal law. The report said Santos was "blatantly" stealing from his campaign and deceiving campaign donors.

Following that report, Iowa's congressional delegation all called on Santos to resign from Congress and said they would vote to expel him if he did not.

Santos becomes the sixth member of the U.S. House of Representatives to be expelled in the chamber's history. Three were removed at the start of the Civil War in 1861 and two others were removed in 1980 and 2002 after criminal convictions, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Friday's vote was the third attempt at expelling Santos from Congress. Iowa's delegation opposed expelling Santos in the previous two votes, which took place before the Ethics Committee released its report.

1st District U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Miller-Meeks, a Republican who represents southeast Iowa, said Santos' actions are not befitting a member of Congress.

She called on the Senate to consider expelling U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat who faces criminal charges of bribery and conspiracy to act as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt. Menendez has pleaded not guilty.

“Having followed due process in the House, in consideration of the scathing House Ethics Committee report documenting considerable evidence of criminal activity, including fraud, and after listening to my constituents, today, I voted to expel Rep. George Santos," Miller-Meeks said in a statement. "The Senate should also conduct due process and consider the expulsion of Sen. (Bob) Menendez, who has been indicted for the second time. Members and elected officials must be held to a higher standard. This is especially important as we continue to investigate the Biden crime family and consider an upcoming vote for an impeachment inquiry to hold President Biden accountable. I did not take this vote lightly, but I believe that we must act on our values and condemn the criminal activities of George Santos, which are not befitting of a member of Congress."

2nd District U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson

Hinson, a Republican who represents northeast Iowa, wrote on social media ahead of Friday's vote that "Americans deserve better from their representatives."

"As I said, if George Santos didn’t resign, I would vote to expel him," Hinson wrote on social media Friday. "His conduct is beneath public office and he is unfit to serve in Congress. We should focus on solving the challenges facing the American people & he should deal with his legal challenges as a private citizen."

3rd District U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn

Nunn, a Republican who represents metro Des Moines and central and southern Iowa, said Americans "are sick and tired of Washington, D.C. backroom deals that protect crooks and liars."

He called expelling Santos "the right move" and also called on the Senate to expel Menendez.

“Those who serve in elected office should be held to the highest possible ethical standard," Nunn said in a statement. "George Santos probably couldn’t even find the word ethics in a dictionary. He has repeatedly proven to be a con man, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he should be in prison, not the House of Representatives. While he will continue to receive due process in a court of law for his criminal liability, the Constitution dictates that the House of Representatives is responsible for determining the fitness to serve of its own members. To that end, George Santos has received lengthy due process through the House Ethics Committee and the results are clear: he is unfit to serve."

4th District U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra

Feenstra's office pointed to a statement Feenstra put on social media on Nov. 17, the day after the Ethics Committee released its report.

"In Iowa, we value integrity and dignity within our families, our communities, and public life," Feenstra wrote. "We expect our elected officials to operate truthfully, ethically, and responsibly on behalf of their constituents. I gave Rep. George Santos the time needed for an ethics report following his indictments. Rep. George Santos has proven that his ethics do not align with what we expect from our leaders. In light of the Ethics Committee report, I will vote to expel him from Congress for his illegal and unethical behavior should he choose not to do the right thing and resign."

USA Today contributed to this report.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Miller-Meeks, Hinson, Nunn, Feenstra vote to expel Santos from Congress