![[UPDATE] George Santos Controversy: Republicans Work To Expel Embattled New York Representative](https://d.hngn.com/en/full/282248/update-george-santos-controversy-republicans-work-expel-embattled-new-york-representative.jpg?w=830&f=336cb1412d169dd4929fbca8f88c2a70)
A group of six Republican lawmakers from New York on Wednesday said that they would make efforts to ask the House to expel embattled Rep. George Santos.
The decision comes a day after an unsealed indictment revealed new criminal charges against the New York lawmaker. The new accusations claim that he is guilty of stealing the identities of family members and using donors' credit cards to spend thousands of dollars.
Expulsion Resolution Against George Santos
The controversy began after Santos admitted to fabricating key parts of his biography shortly after he was elected in 2022. The new charges revealed on Tuesday came five months after the representative was charged with other financial crimes. He has continued to plead not guilty to criminal activity related to the initial charges and denied the new charges.
The expulsion plan was announced by Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, who represents a district on Long Island near Santos' district. He said the resolution would be co-sponsored by fellow New York Republican freshmen Reps. As per the Washington Post, Nick LaLota, Michael Lawler, Marcus J. Molinaro, Nicholas A. Langworthy, and Brandon Williams.
The move is seen as the latest made by New York Republicans to distance themselves from the embattled representative. A series of criminal allegations have marred Santos' brief tenure in politics. However, House Republicans, more broadly, have been less willing to penalize the lawmaker over the accusations.
In a statement on Wednesday, Santos said that if other lawmakers want to be judge, jury, and executioner, he will just let them be. His remarks came as he rushed down the hallway where Republican lawmakers met.
The New York representative later dismissed the expulsion resolution as evidence that his colleagues prioritized "their campaigns over the essential work that needs to be done." Santos also said that the expulsion before being found guilty sets a dangerous precedent and will ultimately erase the voices of the electorate.
On top of the case against Santos, his former campaign treasurer pleaded guilty to fraud last week. After that, a superseding indictment introduced ten new charges against the Republican, according to The Guardian.
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Pleading Not Guilty to the Charges
Santos is now facing 23 criminal charges, and he said that he was denying every single one of them. He noted that he would not resign and still plans to run for re-election despite calls from other lawmakers to step down from his position.
LaLota said that Santos has no business in the halls of the House of Representatives, calling him an immoral person who is untrustworthy. He argued that the embattled lawmaker scammed hundreds of thousands of voters.
The motion to expel Santos would need the support of two-thirds of the members in the House, which means a minimum of 290 votes. Democratic lawmakers have also repeatedly called for the New York representative to be expelled.
LaLota said they do not yet have the support from the required two-thirds of the House but noted that they predict the resolution would "catch fire." It remains unknown when the motion would get a vote on the House floor amid the chaos brought on by the ousting of Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, said Reuters.
