Long Island Rep. George Santos will face a third effort to remove him from Congress when House lawmakers return from their Thanksgiving recess following a scathing ethics report that was referred to federal prosecutors who have already indicted the Republican.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) introduced a resolution on Friday to expel the 35-year-old GOP lawmaker after his panel revealed new details about his abuse of campaign funds.
The report shows Santos not only lied about much of his 2022 federal campaign filings but also used donor funds to pay for personal pleasures, including X-rated Only Fans subscriptions.
The congressman previously pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges of laundering campaign funds to pay for personal expenses and charging the credit cards of donors without permission, among other campaign finance violations.
“The evidence uncovered … is more than sufficient to warrant punishment and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion,” Guest said in a statement.
The House, which Republicans control by a narrow 221-213 majority, is expected to address the expulsion effort after it returns from a two-week recess Nov. 28. The motion would require a two-thirds vote to succeed.
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) speaks to reporters as he leaves the Capitol after a series of votes, on November 15, 2023. REUTERSBoth Democrats and Republicans have introduced previous expulsion resolutions against the freshman rep — but neither cleared a vote on the House floor.
House GOP lawmakers voted to refer a Democrat-led resolution to the Ethics Committee in May.
Earlier this month, another expulsion push led by New York Republicans also failed to pass, with several members expressing a desire for the ethics inquiry to conclude first.
Santos recently announced that he would not seek re-election next year, writing on X that “my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.” REUTERSIn a statement following Thursday’s report, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called its findings “troubling” and urged GOP members to “consider the best interests of the institution” in the upcoming vote.
Other Republican lawmakers who voted down previous expulsion attempts have already indicated they would not let Santos off a third time.
“After today’s release of the report from the Ethics Committee, it is clear that George Santos is unfit to serve and should be removed from office,” Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) said on X. “George has betrayed the trust of his constituents who deserve honesty and transparency from their elected official.”
The Long Island lawmaker is facing a 23-count indictment, including charges of embezzlement and lying to Congress. REUTERSTwo Santos associates — his former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks and ex-fundraiser Samuel Miele — have already pleaded guilty to falsifying campaign finance records and defrauding donors.
The truth-challenged pol will head to trial Sept. 9, 2024, and announced on Thursday that he would not seek re-election.
“I will not stand by as I am stoned by those who have flaws themselves,” Santos wrote on X, adding that “my family deserves better than to be under the gun from the press all the time.”
Rep. Michael Guest (right), who chairs the Ethics Committee, predicted the report would revive attempts to oust Santos before the end of his term. Getty ImagesA spokeswoman for Santos’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The Ethics Committee said it referred more “uncharged and unlawful conduct” to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution, including fresh evidence of falsely reported loans received by Santos’ unsuccessful 2020 congressional campaign, improper loan repayments and “systemic reporting errors” in both his 2020 and 2022 campaigns.
The report also detailed extravagant – and possibly illegal – spending of campaign money, including thousands of dollars on Botox, luxury brands such as Hermes, and “smaller purchases” from OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content.
With Post wires
