Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has evaded two efforts this year to oust him from the House. A third time could end up differently, depending on the results of a long-awaited ethics report this week.<\/p>\n
The House Ethics Committee is slated to release the findings of its investigation into Santos regarding a slew of charges, including campaign finance fraud and bribery, by Friday. If it\u2019s damning, as many expect, New York Republicans who have called for his removal are likely to move quickly against him.<\/p>\n
Their previous effort fell short of the necessary two-thirds vote, as other Republicans argued against setting the precedent of expelling a member without a conviction. His trial on federal charges isn\u2019t set to begin for nearly a year. Plus, there\u2019s the ever-present problem of the House GOP\u2019s slim majority.<\/p>\n
But some members who protected Santos last time have indicated that a convincing ethics report would change their minds.<\/p>\n
First-term Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) said he would consider voting to expel Santos if the Ethics panel concludes \u201cthere\u2019s criminal wrongdoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one thing I want to make sure we’re not doing, whether it’s expulsion or censure, is lowering the standards,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Still, it\u2019s unclear whether a scathing ethics report would be enough to meet the high bar \u2014 it would take roughly 80 Republicans siding with all Democrats \u2014 for expulsion. Speaker Mike Johnson himself has broadly signaled that he doesn\u2019t want to get ahead of Santos\u2019 trial. Plus, the new speaker and some other Republicans are loath to further narrow their majority, given their exceedingly slim margins and a slew of tough spending votes in the months ahead.<\/p>\n
But Santos’ critics remain confident.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll be out,\u201d said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who had previously voted for his ouster. \u201cIf he is found guilty by Ethics, he\u2019s gone.\u201d <\/p>\n
Santos, however, told POLITICO last week that he is \u201cnot concerned\u201d about the conclusions of the Ethics probe nor any subsequent removal push.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet them do it,\u201d Santos said. \u201cIf they don’t have a conviction and they don’t have anything damning coming out of Ethics, and they still push that, the norm stands \u2026 that we’re creating a dangerous precedent.\u201d<\/p>\n
If their efforts are successful, Santos would be the first House member in over two decades to be expelled. He would follow Ohio Democratic Rep. James A. Traficant, who was removed by his colleagues in 2002. That incident followed a conviction \u2014 he was found guilty of 10 charges, including bribery, following a federal racketeering and corruption trial.<\/p>\n
Rep. Anthony D\u2019Esposito (R-N.Y.) earlier this month pushed a Santos expulsion resolution, the second effort after a Democratic-led attempt earlier this year. Only 24 Republicans supported D\u2019Esposito\u2019s measure, as well as 155 Democrats.<\/p>\n
During that push, the Ethics Committee made an unusual disclosure, saying they would announce their next steps against Santos on or before this Friday. They shared that the panel had issued 37 subpoenas, combed through more than 170,000 pages of records and reached out to about 40 witnesses as part of the ongoing probe. That was triggered in early March<\/a>, after a series of news reports raised concerns that there was \u201cunlawful activity\u201d in his bid for office.<\/p>\n When the probe began, then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy urged GOP members to show restraint. At the time, he said a formal removal effort should be informed by an ethics report.<\/p>\n \u201cI will hold him to the same standard I hold anyone else elected to Congress. If [we find] some way, when we go through Ethics, that he has broken the law, then we will remove him,\u201d McCarthy said in January. \u201cBut it’s not my role. I believe in the rule of law. A person is innocent until proven guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, it seems McCarthy\u2019s successor will have to decide how to handle such an ethics report \u2014 and if it should trigger another effort for Santos\u2019 removal. Johnson, in his first interview as speaker, previously argued Santos deserved his due process. The Louisiana Republican has not weighed in on the ethics report specifically, however, and declined to comment on the matter to POLITICO Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is not convicted. He is charged,\u201d Johnson told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in late October. \u201cIf we\u2019re going to expel people from Congress just because they are charged with a crime or accused, that\u2019s a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the internal review began, Santos has faced nearly two dozen charges, including bribery, wire fraud and identity theft. And when he faced a superseding indictment last month that increased his charge count from 13 to 23, Santos continued to maintain his innocence<\/a> to reporters, vowing he will not resign or pursue a plea bargain. Santos has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He’s also signaled that he’s launching another bid for the seat.<\/p>\n His trial is set to begin in September 2024.<\/p>\n Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.<\/p>\n