Johnson Withholds Support for Santos’ Ousting Amid Growing GOP Backing
- Rep. George Santos is facing expulsion from the House over allegations of fraud and misuse of campaign funds in his candidacy. A House Ethics Committee report said he “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit”.
- Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed reservations about expelling Santos since he has not yet been convicted. However, momentum is building in the GOP for Santos’ expulsion. If expelled, Santos would be the first House member to be ousted without having been convicted or having supported the confederacy.
- The decision to expel a House member is a severe form of punishment and requires a two-thirds majority vote. Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including allegations of fraud related to Covid-19 unemployment benefits, misusing campaign funds, and lying about his personal finances on House disclosure reports. The House will vote on the expulsion resolution on Friday.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s Reservations on Expelling Rep. George Santos
Expressing “real reservations”, Speaker Mike Johnson voiced concerns on Wednesday about expelling Rep. George Santos. Despite the New York Republican not being convicted of a crime, growing GOP support aims to make him the sixth member to be ousted due to serious conduct allegations.
Santos had previously survived expulsion attempts but a recent damning House Ethics Committee report has reignited the push. The report accused Santos of fraudulent exploitation of his House candidacy for personal gain. This has put pressure on the newly elected speaker to manage differing opinions within his conference.
While some Republicans advocate for expulsion based on the ethics investigation findings, others express due process concerns since Santos hasn’t been convicted in court. The potential expulsion has implications beyond Santos; if expelled, he’d be the first ousted member without a conviction or Confederate support. This would further shrink the narrow Republican majority.
Hear what Santos’ plan is if he gets expelled from Congress
Johnson’s comment about “reservations” doesn’t assure political cover for expulsion support, complicating the decision for some Republicans. Yet, Rep. Nick LaLota initially predicted up to 150 GOP votes for Santos’ ousting this week, later suggesting a closer vote based on member feedback.
Expulsions are the harshest House lawmaker punishment and only five members have been expelled to date. It requires a two-thirds majority vote, a difficult hurdle to clear.
Santos announced he won’t seek reelection following the ethics report but refused to resign, dismissing the report as a “disgusting politicized smear.” He has also pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including alleged fraud related to Covid-19 benefits, misuse of campaign funds and false personal finance declarations on House reports.
The House will vote on Santos’ expulsion on Friday, according to a source. While 18 Republicans have indicated expulsion support following the ethics investigation, it’s unclear if there will be enough votes to expel Santos. Some members still hesitate to expel a member without a felony conviction.
Conservative GOP Rep. Ralph Norman stated he wasn’t planning to vote for Santos’ expulsion, suggesting his voters should decide Santos’ fate. Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz voiced uncertainty over her vote and concerns with the investigation, citing the importance of due process.
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