The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday on the potential expulsion of Republican congressman George Santos, who has been indicted on corruption charges. This move is highly unusual and could significantly impact his party’s narrow majority.
Santos, a 35-year-old lawmaker from New York, pleaded not guilty on October 27 to a 23-count federal indictment. The charges against him include laundering funds for personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits, and charging donors’ credit cards without their consent.
Expelling a lawmaker requires a two-thirds majority vote in the chamber. Throughout the country’s history, only five individuals have been expelled from the House, with three of them being ousted for fighting against the U.S. government during the Civil War.
If the first-term congressman is expelled, it would further jeopardize the Republicans’ narrow 221-212 majority, as a special election would be held to select his replacement. Santos represents a small portion of New York City and some of its eastern suburbs, and nonpartisan election forecasters suggest that Democrats could regain the seat.
Republican lawmakers from New York had initially announced their intention to introduce a resolution to expel Santos. However, the process was delayed due to the absence of House leadership following the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Mike Johnson, who was elected by Republicans on October 25, succeeded McCarthy but has stated his opposition to expelling Santos based on criminal charges.
Santos has faced controversy since shortly after his election victory in November, as he was accused of fabricating much of his personal history during his campaign. The corruption charges against him also include reporting a false $500,000 campaign loan and providing false information about his assets to the House.
A trial for Santos has been scheduled for September 9, 2024, shortly before the elections that will determine control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
The House Ethics Committee is also investigating allegations related to Santos. The committee’s investigative subcommittee has contacted 40 witnesses, reviewed over 170,000 pages of documents, and authorized 37 subpoenas. The committee has announced that it will disclose its next steps by November 17.
This article was written by Makini Brice and edited by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis.
