(NewsInsights.org) – On October 10, prosecutors in the Justice Department (DOJ) issued a 23-count superseding indictment against Representative George Santos (R-NY), alleging making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission, conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, money laundering, wire fraud, identity theft, theft of public funds, and lying to Congress. Perhaps understandably, several of Santos’s GOP colleagues have become more than a little annoyed.
In fact, five fellow GOP representatives from New York led an effort to oust him from the House on Wednesday, November 1. Yet, miraculously, with votes from Democrats and Republicans alike, he survived the expulsion vote — this time.
Expulsion from the House is exceedingly rare; it’s only occurred only five times in history. Colleagues ousted three members during the Civil War after they joined the Confederacy to fight against the Union. Representatives expelled the other two members after courts convicted them of bribery charges on two separate occasions.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) explained his decision to vote against Santos’s ouster in terms of due process. Calling himself “a Constitution guy,” Raskin pointed out that ousting Santos without a conviction could set a “terrible precedent” that could destabilize the House. He stated his belief in adhering to “due process and the rule of law,” especially in “times of war, chaos, insurrection, division and lawlessness.”
Santos initially faced a 13-count indictment in May, and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had referred complaints about Santos to the House Ethics Committee for investigation. Currently, the District Court for the Eastern District of New York hasn’t scheduled Santos for trial until September 2024, and the legislator entered not-guilty pleas to all charges.
The New York representative has consistently maintained his innocence and called the indictments against him a “witch hunt,” taking a page out of former President Donald Trump’s book. Several New York Republicans are facing challenging impending reelection battles.
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