WASHINGTON (WABC) — Embattled Long Island Congressman George Santos remained defiant on the House floor ahead of his third possible expulsion vote set for Friday.
“If this building, if this city put in the effort to fixing our country the same way that they put on expelling me we’d be in a bitter place, but this place is littered in political theater and the American people are the ones paying the price,” Santos said.
The freshman Republican representative could soon be expelled and ousted from Congress after 11 months on the job.
The vote for his removal comes after a scathing report from the House Ethics Committee that found he broke the law by allegedly using campaign money for personal gain.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson says Republican leaders are not telling members how to vote.
“I trust that people will make that decision thoughtfully and in good faith, I personally have real reservations about doing this, I’m concerned about a precedent that may be set for that, so everyone is working through that and we’ll see how they vote tomorrow,” Johnson said.
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Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges accusing him of multiple criminal schemes, including unemployment and wire fraud.
Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California brought a resolution to the House floor to expel the indicted congressman.
The resolution from Garcia is privileged, which means GOP leadership will have to address it within 48 hours.
New York Rep. Mike Lawler said he plans to vote Santos out.
“This is someone who is not fit to serve, it’s time to go, long past time and whether by resignation or expulsion, it has to happen,” Lawler said.
New York Rep. Marc Molinaro also said he would vote to oust Santos.
“Not only is he a fraud but he has defrauded taxpayers, voters, donors, and colleagues,” Molinaro said.
However, not all Republicans are on board. Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas says he is voting against expelling Santos.
“I respect members of the Ethics Committee, I think they’ve done great job with their reporting, but does that mean that I don’t understand it, he hasn’t been convicted of anything,” Nehls said.
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis from Staten Island is one of the many House Republicans switching over to vote out the indicted congressman.
“The majority of people I talked to will be voting yes, there’s a few people that say that he needs to have his day in court, but his day in court is related to those criminal charges,” Malliotakis said.
Expelling Santos would require support from at least two-thirds of House members voting. Garcia said he expects to reach that number easily, which would make Santos just the sixth member of the House to be removed by his colleagues, and only the third since the Civil War.
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“George Santos: The Man, The Myths, The Lessons,” an ABC7 New York Eyewitness News investigation, explores the rise of the politician whose path to Congress was paved with lies.
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