Republican files resolution to expel Rep. Santos from House
Santos has repeatedly refused to resign amid allegations of lying and lawbreaking, but he said he will not run for reelection.
LEARN MOREPosted: 11:11 a.m. EST Nov 30, 2023
Republican Rep. George Santos will soon learn whether he still has a job in Congress.
House GOP leadership confirmed that a vote on whether to expel Santos will take place on Friday.
Expelling a member from the House requires a two-thirds majority vote. If this effort is successful, Santos will become just the sixth person ever to be kicked out of the House of Representatives.
Santos held a press conference on Thursday, refusing to resign ahead of a vote.
"If I leave, they win. If I leave, the bullies take place, this is bullying, the rep the chair of the committee putting out a motion to expel just introducing it and not calling its privilege was designed to force me to resign," Santos said.
The push to expel Santos is being brought by fellow Republican Rep. Micheal Guest. He filed a resolution to expel Santos after a House Ethics panel found Santos' financial disclosures "filled with falsehoods" that were designed to make him look wealthy. The report also details a pattern of fraudulent spending in which Santos is accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses. Some examples include $6,000 spent at Ferragamo stores, nearly $2,300 at resorts in Atlantic City and $1,400 at a spa in New York.
Despite the allegations, Santos said Congress is wasting the time of the American people by holding the vote to expel him.
"The reality of it is, it's all theater. It's theater for the cameras, it's theater for the microphones, it's theater for the American people at the expense of the American people because no real work is getting done," he said.
In addition to the prospect of losing his job, Santos is facing a legal battle. In May, he was indicted on 13 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and stealing public funds. Five months later, another 10 counts were added in a superseding indictment.
Santos has pleaded not guilty.
