House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday disputed Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) expressed “real reservations” about the ouster proposal and said lawmakers should “vote their conscience” during floor votes. will be free. What to do. is expected on Thursday.
“We have not voted and we will not,” Johnson told reporters. “I am confident that people will take this decision thoughtfully and in good faith. I personally object to doing this. “I’m worried about the precedent that could be set.”
Johnson said GOP lawmakers shared opinions “on both sides” of Santos’ ouster during a Republican conference call earlier Wednesday. Santos had survived two previous takedown attempts. The latest comes after a scathing House Ethics Committee report found “substantial evidence” that the new lawmaker knowingly violated ethics guidelines, House rules and criminal law.
A two-thirds vote by the members is required for expulsion from the House.
If removed by the House, Santos would be only the sixth lawmaker in its history to be expelled from the House — and the first in modern times to be so removed without being convicted of a crime.
“There are people who say you have to uphold the rule of law and allow someone to be convicted in a criminal court before you give this harsh sentence,” Johnson said. “There are others who say, well, we have to take this step now to preserve the rule of law, because he’s accused of doing certain things.”
Johnson said allowing lawmakers to vote their conscience is “the only reasonable thing” GOP leadership can do.
11 Most Criminal Allegations in House Ethics Report About Santos
It was House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (Miss.), a fellow Republican, who introduced a resolution to oust Santos that will be considered Thursday. Guest filed the motion before lawmakers left for the Thanksgiving recess. On Tuesday night, another Republican, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.), moved to move the guest resolution under privilege, meaning it would have to be considered within 48 hours.
By filing the ouster motion himself, Guest added credibility to the proposal, as lawmakers hesitated to vote to oust Santos earlier this month when the question was raised by fellow New York Republicans. That effort failed, with 182 Republicans and 31 Democrats voting against it, fearing it would set a precedent for ousting lawmakers without due process.
A defiant Santos has long denied wrongdoing and insisted he will not resign. Santos told reporters on Tuesday that he had spoken with Johnson over the weekend but that the House speaker had not encouraged him to resign.
“All these members are taking it forward. They want me to resign because they don’t want to take this difficult vote that will set the precedent for their own demise in the future. Because they are not immune to all the nonsense that goes on in Washington,” Santos said. “My message to them will either be deleted or silenced, and this character is enough.”
The ethics committee’s report, which was published on November 16, accused Santos of wrongdoing, including stealing money from his campaign, deceiving donors about how contributions would be used, fraudulent loans and fraudulent business deals. Includes joining. The report alleges that Santos frequently used his campaign funds for personal enrichment, including paying off spa fees and his own credit card debt.
The long-awaited report presented the findings of the committee’s months-long investigation in scathing language. According to the committee, investigators compiled more than 170,000 pages of documents, including financial statements and the testimony of dozens of witnesses, to reach their conclusions.
“Representative Santos attempted to fraudulently use every aspect of his House candidacy for his personal financial gain. He blatantly stole from his campaign. The report stated, “He deceived donors into thinking they were contributing to his campaign when they were actually contributing to his campaign. were paying for personal gain,” the report said.
The New York Republican also faces 23 federal charges, including fraud, money laundering, falsifying records and identity theft.
People Also Read: Fears rise over Gaza’s youngest hostages after Hamas claims three family members killed in Israeli bombing
