The chairman of the House Ethics Committee, Michael Guest, has introduced a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos following a searing report on the lawmaker. The report, released by the committee, revealed “substantial evidence” showing that the New York Republican misused campaign funds, filed false reports on his donations, and engaged in other forms of fraud. Chairman Guest, a Mississippi Republican, stated that the evidence uncovered in the investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion. As a result, he has filed an expulsion resolution separate from the committee process and his role as chairman.
This would mark the third attempt at ousting Mr. Santos from Congress. The latest expulsion judgment would require a two-thirds majority to advance in the House. A previous attempt by New York lawmakers to oust Mr. Santos failed when Republicans joined with Democrats to save him. However, following the release of the committee’s report, some lawmakers who voted against the previous expulsion resolution have changed their stance, with seven Republicans, including Chairman Guest, now supporting an ouster.
According to the report, only five members have been forcibly ousted in Congress’ history. Two were convicted of crimes, and the other three supported the Confederacy and its rebellion against the U.S. Mr. Santos is currently facing a federal indictment alleging fraud and misuse of political donations.
The report also suggested that there was fraud beyond what was contained in the federal charges against Mr. Santos and recommended that the lawmaker should be referred to the Justice Department. The committee began the process of investigating Mr. Santos in February, with the resolution indicating that the panel met nine times, authorized 37 subpoenas, and made 43 requests for information, resulting in over 172,000 pages of documents on the lawmaker.
The release of the report led Mr. Santos to announce he would not seek reelection. In response, Mr. Santos criticized the actions of the ‘ethics committee,’ stating that they had poisoned the jury pool on his ongoing investigation with the DOJ and that the committee’s actions trampled over his rights.
