“Shameful That Such a Fraudulent Character Is Part of Our Government,”: Republican-Led Vote To Expel George Santos Fails in House

Michelle HollandNov 5, 2023

Minute Read

A GOP-led attempt to remove Republican Representative George Santos from Congress failed easily on Wednesday when not enough lawmakers voted in favor of the motion. The final vote was 179 to 213 with 19 members voting present, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for it to pass.

Santos’ Legal Battles

Santos has been indicted on numerous federal charges of fraud and embezzlement, which he pled not guilty to on Friday. Fellow GOP lawmakers in the New York delegation wished to see him removed, attributing his legal issues as well as his lies about his personal history.

The Expulsion Resolution

Editorial credit: Philip Yabut / Shutterstock.

The expulsion resolution was filed by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito on Thursday as privileged, meaning things were forced to move quickly. Santos defended himself on the House floor before voting commenced, arguing that D’Esposito and the other colleagues who joined him on the motion — Reps. Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams — were “prioritizing petty politics.”

Santos’ Defence

“The loss of the presumption of innocence establishes a dangerous precedent that threatens the very foundation of our legal system, and we risk losing the trust that the American people placed in us by passing judgment without due process,” Santos stated. “If we work together, we can protect the integrity of our system and the rights of all citizens.”

“Fighting Tooth and Nail”

“I’m fighting tooth and nail to clear my name in front of the entire world, Mr. Speaker. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m fighting by God’s grace,” Santos continued. D’Esposito previously sent a letter to “strongly urge” people to vote in favor of Santos’ expulsion.

Historical Expulsions

Only five members have ever been expelled from the House, the last time being in 2002 when Ohio Democrat James Traficant was expelled following his conviction on 10 felony counts of racketeering, bribery, and fraud.

Accusations Against Santos

The jury is still out on Santos, who prosecutors allege stole people’s identities, laundered money to pay for personal expenses, and charged donors’ credit cards without their consent, among other things.

Not Backing Down

Santos has refused to resign and currently wishes to run for re-election when the time comes. He is set to face trial in 2024. “I’m strong in my convictions that I can prove my innocence,” he maintains.

The First Attempt

There was a previous attempt to expel Santos back in May, spearheaded by Democrats, who tried to force the House to consider the motion. The vote never went ahead, and Republicans instead referred the issue to the House Ethics Committee, which plans to announce the next steps of the investigation on or before November 17.

House Ethics Committee Investigation

Regarding its review of the allegations involving Santos, the committee’s investigative subcommittee revealed it “has contacted 40 witnesses, reviewed more than 170,000 pages of documents, and authorized 37 subpoenas.”

“Innocent Until Proven Guilty”

Many online have speculated why some Democrats voted against the resolution despite Santos being in the opposing party. “They want due process. Innocent until proven guilty,” one forum commenter wrote.

A Political Process

“Expulsion, like impeachment, is a political process not a legal one,” one person said. “This wasn’t a criminal prosecution. Regardless of what kind of spin they want to put out on it, they’re either voting to keep the expulsion process mainstream or voting to keep a punching bag on the front line.”

Maintaining a Majority

Regarding the Republicans who rejected the motion, someone suggested that “my guess is that Republicans voted against it because they need to maintain their slim 5-person majority in the House. It’s on brand for them to ignore scandals or any wrongdoings in favor of votes.”

Setting a Precedence

One person added, “Someone posted a Democrat’s response as to why he voted against expulsion. He basically said that it should be done after a conviction or a congressional investigation is complete. Otherwise, it sets a precedence for expulsion for political purposes instead of criminal/ethical reasons.”

The Lack of Questioning

“The “Ethics” committee has been “investigating” him for eight months now. They haven’t even questioned him yet,” one person pointed out. “”Questioning” him would “set” a “dangerous” precedent in holding politicians “accountable” for their “actions,”” another replied.

Santos’ “Fraudulent Character”

“Shameful that such a fraudulent character is part of our main body of government,” one user wrote. The response from the internet was largely disappointed that Santos survived the vote. “I give up on this government, it’s a complete joke,” someone complained.

A Hidden Agenda

One commenter suggested, “The point of this isn’t to expel Santos. That was never going to happen with a Republican majority. The point is now most of the Republicans are on record as supporting him and this will be used against them in their re-election campaigns.”

Both Sides Share the Blame

Someone noted that they couldn’t just blame Republicans for keeping Santos, highlighting that “a lot of Democrats voted to keep him in.” “Not solely, just overwhelmingly,” another person clarified. “11% of Republicans voted to expel him vs 73% of Democrats.”