House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) will file a new motion to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) amid findings that the New York freshman engaged in unlawful conduct that is "beneath the dignity" of Congress.
Guest will introduce the motion on Friday morning, the chairman confirmed to the Washington Examiner just moments after the Ethics Committee released its report recommending the allegations against Santos should be referred to the Department of Justice. The report stopped short of recommending Santos's expulsion, instead saying his actions "warrant public condemnation" and leaving the matter up to lawmakers to decide.
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"Chairman Guest feels that the evidence uncovered in the Committee's investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment, and that the most appropriate punishment is expulsion," his office said in a statement.
The committee released its 56-page report on Thursday detailing its findings of the monthslong investigation into the embroiled freshman, concluding that Santos had knowingly filed false or incomplete reports to the Federal Election Commission, used campaign funds for personal purposes, and “engaged in knowing and willful violations” in relation to the Ethics in Government Act.
The report accused Santos of "blatantly" stealing funds by deceiving donors into giving contributions they thought were going toward his campaign but were instead being used "for his personal benefit." Santos did this by reporting "fictitious loans to his political committees" to incentivize donors to make further contributions but then using those as "repayments" toward his own loans.
"He used his connections to high value donors and other political campaigns to obtain additional funds for himself through fraudulent or otherwise questionable business dealings," the report states. "And he sustained all of this through a constant series of lies to his constituents, donors, and staff about his background and experience."
It's not yet clear when the expulsion vote could come to the floor for consideration as lawmakers adjourned for their Thanksgiving recess on Wednesday and are not slated to return until Nov. 28. A motion to expel a member requires a two-thirds majority vote, meaning at least 78 Republicans must join all Democrats to pass the measure.
Santos has already avoided two expulsion efforts in the House, including one brought forward by his fellow Republicans in New York last month. However, the latest effort failed after a majority of Republicans and a handful of Democrats said they wanted to wait for the investigation to be completed before making a decision.
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Meanwhile, some Republicans have expressed hesitation to expel Santos before his criminal trial in New York is finished, claiming it could set a dangerous precedent for future proceedings. Others also pointed to the GOP’s slim majority in the House, noting if Santos were ousted in the competitive district, its four-seat majority could shrink to three.
Santos has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation. The Washington Examiner reached out to Santos for comment.