House expected to consider resolution to expel Rep. Santos from Congress
Written by ABC AUDIO on May 17, 2023
(WASHINGTON) — The House of Representatives is expected to consider a Democratic resolution to expel Rep. George Santos from Congress.
When the House reconvenes at 5 p.m., Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., will offer his resolution to expel Santos from the chamber.
But Republicans aren’t expected to vote on the resolution. Instead House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will hold a vote to refer the resolution to the House Ethics Committee, which has been conducting their own investigation into Santos.
“I think we can look at this very quickly and come to a conclusion on what George Santos did and did not do through Ethics, a safe bipartisan committee, equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and I think that’s when you bring it back to Congress if it rises to the ability,” McCarthy said at a press conference Tuesday.
House Democratic leaders have instructed their members to vote no on referring the resolution to the House Ethics Committee. Garcia said his resolution to expel Santos is about putting Republicans on the record.
“There hasn’t been action, and so now’s the appropriate time to make sure that Republicans are on record if they’re going to actually stand by someone that is a serial liar and a fraud. And they’re gonna have to record a vote, and the American people will be watching their votes,” Garcia said Tuesday.
Santos said in March he would comply “100%” one day after the House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to establish an “Investigative Subcommittee” to look into the claims made against Santos.
Among the accusations the subcommittee has been examining are whether Santos “engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office,” according to a news release from the House Ethics Committee.
The congressman has previously acknowledged lying about some parts of his background, specifically about graduating from college — which he did not — but he has insisted his behavior was similar to routine resume embellishment. He has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct or any criminal wrongdoing.
Santos was indicted last week on 13 criminal counts, including seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York said.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Twenty members of Congress have been expelled, 17 of them for supporting the Confederacy in 1861 and 1862. Only five members of the House have been expelled in U.S. history.
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