House Republicans block Democratic effort to expel George Santos from Congress [View all]

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Last edited Wed May 17, 2023, 07:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: CBS News

Washington — House Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic resolution that would expel GOP Rep. George Santos from Congress, instead voting to refer the matter to a committee while several investigations into his conduct continue.

Santos faces 13 federal charges of fraud, money laundering and other crimes, with prosecutors alleging he pocketed thousands of dollars of campaign contributions and fraudulently collected unemployment benefits. The New York Republican, who lied about numerous aspects of his background in his pursuit of his congressional seat, pleaded not guilty and recently announced he will run for reelection next year.

On Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California introduced a measure to expel Santos from the House as a "privileged" resolution, fast-tracking its consideration under House rules. Republicans moved Wednesday to refer the bill to the House Ethics Committee, which opened a formal probe into Santos in March. That vote, which required a simple majority, succeeded along party lines by a margin of 221 to 204. Seven Democrats voted present.

"I look forward to seeing the process play out, and if the Ethics Committee finds a reason to remove me, that is the process," Santos, who voted to refer the resolution to the panel, said Wednesday evening. "I look forward to continuing to defend myself. Again, innocent until proven guilty." Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito of New York said before the vote that he was in favor of expelling Santos, but "regrettably" there weren't enough votes to oust him.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-santos-expulsion-resolution-house-vote-ethics-committee/

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Article updated.

Original article -

Washington — House Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic resolution that would expel GOP Rep. George Santos from Congress, instead voting to refer the matter to a committee while several investigations into his conduct continue. Santos faces 13 federal charges of fraud, money laundering and other crimes, with prosecutors alleging he pocketed thousands of dollars of campaign contributions and fraudulently collected unemployment benefits.

The New York Republican, who lied about numerous aspects of his background in his pursuit of his congressional seat, pleaded not guilty and recently announced he will run for reelection next year. On Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California introduced a measure to expel Santos from the House as a "privileged" resolution, fast-tracking its consideration under House rules. Republicans moved Wednesday to refer the bill to the House Ethics Committee, which opened a formal probe into Santos in March.

That vote, which required a simple majority, succeeded along party lines by a margin of 221 to 204. Seven Democrats voted present. Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito of New York said before the vote that he was in favor of expelling Santos, but "regrettably" there weren't enough votes to oust him. "I believe that this individual is a stain on this institution, a stain on the state of New York, a stain on Long Island and a stain on the beloved Nassau County," D'Esposito said.

"With that said, we believe this resolution should be referred to the Committee on Ethics to ensure a thorough and expedient investigation into this matter. I firmly believe this is the quickest way of ridding the House of Representatives of this scourge on government." The vote gave other vulnerable Republicans cover from being forced to go on the record with their position on whether the indicted New York congressman should keep his seat. Republicans hold a slim four-seat majority in the House and can ill afford to lose any members.