Rep. Michael Guest introduced a new expulsion resolution a day after his committee released a damning report about the New York congressman
The House Ethics Committee did not formally recommend the House of Representatives move to kick George Santos out of Congress despite finding “substantial evidence” that the New York congressman is guilty of federal crimes. The committee’s chairman, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), took matters into his own hands on Friday, filing a new resolution to expel Santos.
Santos survived an expulsion vote earlier this month, with most Republicans and 30 Democrats voting against the resolution — which was introduced by New York Republicans. The Ethics Committee’s report could certainly move the needle, however. The bipartisan report found that Santos “knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; engaged in fraudulent conduct … and engaged in knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act.”
The report revealed that Santos used campaign cash for a comical array of personal extravagances, including Botox, luxury vacations, spa treatments, meals, parking, OnlyFans, and purchases at Sephora.
Santos was arrested in May on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and lying to Congress, and slapped with a superseding indictment added charges related to an identity theft and money-laundering scheme involving his campaign. He announced after the Ethics Committee’s report was released on Thursday that he would not be running for reelection in 2024, but maintained that the report was “biased” and “a disgusting politicized smear that shows the depths of how low our federal government has sunk.”
Republican leadership has largely opposed efforts to expel Santos from Congress, likely because the party holds such a slim majority. House Speaker Mike Johnson punted to the rest of the chamber after the report was released on Thursday. “The Speaker has reviewed the report and its very troubling findings,” Raj Shah, the Speaker’s deputy chief of staff for communications, said in a statement. “As members from both parties, members of the Ethics Committee and Representative Santos return to Congress after the Thanksgiving break, Speaker Johnson encourages all involved to consider the best interests of the institution as this matter is addressed further.”
The House is expected to take up Guest’s resolution after the Thanksgiving holiday.