George Santos, a Republican representative from New York who is currently facing federal charges for identity theft and credit card fraud, will continue to serve in Congress despite the allegations. According to the U.S. Constitution, a two-thirds majority vote is required to expel a member, but the resolution to oust Santos failed to even garner a majority, with 179 votes in favor and 213 against, along with 19 members voting “present.”
Surprisingly, 31 Democrats joined 182 Republicans in voting against Santos’ expulsion. Although it was unlikely that the expulsion resolution would receive the necessary two-thirds support, it was expected that a majority of lawmakers would vote in favor of his removal. Santos expressed his satisfaction with the result, claiming that it demonstrated the lack of support his opponents had touted.
Santos has been the target of two previous expulsion attempts, but those were led by Democrats who criticized his admitted falsehoods during his campaign. However, this time, it was fellow Republicans from New York who spearheaded the effort. Representative Marc Molinaro attributed the vote total to the announcement of possible Ethics Committee action regarding Santos.
The House Ethics Committee, comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, stated that it would announce its “next course of action” on or before November 17. The committee’s investigative subcommittee has contacted numerous witnesses, reviewed extensive documents, and authorized subpoenas as part of its parallel investigation alongside the federal criminal probe.
Molinaro suggested that many members of Congress wanted to wait for the Ethics Committee’s report before making a decision, which influenced the vote. The previous attempts to expel Santos were derailed when they were referred to the Ethics Committee for further investigation.
In addition to the identity theft charges, Santos also faces accusations of money laundering, wire fraud, and lying on federal financial disclosures. However, he has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Despite the outcome of the vote, Representative Anthony D’Esposito, who filed the expulsion resolution, stated that he would continue to rally support for removing Santos while awaiting the Ethics Committee’s findings.
It is clear that the vote on Wednesday is not the final chapter in this story. D’Esposito indicated that once the Ethics Committee completes its investigation, he plans to bring the issue of expulsion back for another vote.
