Ethics chairman launches a new bid to expel George Santos after a withering report on his conduct

The chairman of the House Ethics Committee has initiated a new effort to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress, following the release of a scathing report on his behavior. This resolution comes in the wake of the committee’s publication of substantial evidence suggesting that Santos had misappropriated campaign contributions for personal use. Earlier this month, Santos had narrowly escaped expulsion, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle emphasizing the importance of due process, especially since he is facing nearly two dozen federal charges. However, the recent revelation of the committee’s findings has reignited efforts to remove the embattled freshman congressman, prompting Santos himself to announce that he won’t seek reelection.

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., remarked, “The evidence uncovered in the Ethics Committee’s Investigative Subcommittee investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion.”

The Ethics Committee has forwarded its findings to the Justice Department, potentially bolstering the federal charges against Santos. Lawmakers decided to forgo a protracted formal process used to recommend the House’s appropriate course of action.

Rep. Guest clarified that he is submitting the expulsion resolution independently of the committee process, acting in his personal capacity as a House member. Several other members of the Ethics panel have also voiced support for expulsion now that the investigation has concluded.

Expulsion from the House necessitates a two-thirds majority vote, a challenging threshold. It represents the most severe form of punishment within the House and has occurred only five times in the chamber’s history: three times during the Civil War for disloyalty to the union and twice following federal convictions, most recently in 2002.

Santos responded to the committee’s report by denouncing it as a “disgusting politicized smear” in a tweet. He announced plans for a press conference on the Capitol steps on November 30, but the expulsion vote is likely to occur before that date.

The Ethics panel assigned to investigate Santos convened nine times during its inquiry, interviewed over 40 witnesses, and authorized 37 subpoenas. Among the damning allegations was the misuse of campaign donations for expenses such as stays in Atlantic City and the Hamptons, as well as a Botox treatment at a local spa. The panel also characterized Santos as uncooperative, as he declined voluntary testimony and refused to provide a statement under oath.

The findings of the investigative panel may only be the beginning of Santos’ legal troubles. He faces a 23-count federal indictment alleging identity theft of campaign donors and unauthorized charges on their credit cards, with prosecutors asserting that Santos wired some of the funds to his personal bank account and used the rest to bolster his campaign finances. Additionally, Santos is accused of falsely reporting a $500,000 campaign loan to the Federal Election Commission when, in reality, he hadn’t made any such contribution and had less than $8,000 in his bank account. This fabricated loan was an attempt to convince Republican Party officials of his viability as a serious candidate deserving of financial support, according to the indictment.

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More about Expulsion

• House Ethics Committee
• Rep. George Santos
• Justice Department
• Federal Charges Against Rep. George Santos
• House of Representatives Expulsion Process
• Details of the Ethics Committee’s Report
• Rep. George Santos’ Federal Indictment