A House Democrat has filed a censure resolution against embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY), marking the latest congressional effort to punish the freshman lawmaker over his misconduct.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) filed the resolution on Monday, calling on Congress to condemn Santos for “defrauding the people of the United States” on the campaign trail during the midterm election cycle. The motion comes exactly two months after Santos avoided being expelled after House Republicans voted in May to instead refer him to the Ethics Committee for a thorough investigation.
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“I have a message to House Republicans who, for too long, have been protecting Mr. Santos, who has disgraced the United States Congress,” Torres said in a tweet. “Stop treating Mr. Santos as untouchable. The time has come for Congress to hold him accountable.”
The three-page resolution outlines a number of claims Santos made while running for office, which he later admitted were false. Among these include statements that Santos is a member of the Jewish faith, that his mother died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as claims about his educational and work background. Santos later admitted these claims were untrue.
The resolution also contains a number of obscure statements made by Santos, such as a claim by the New York Republican that he helped produce the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Santos is not listed on the playbill.
Santos responded to the resolution, accusing the Democrats of shifting their focus from must-pass legislation making its way through Congress.
“Democrats on the other side of the aisle have completely lost focus on the work they should be doing,” Santos said in a statement. “My record proves that my office is hard at work, serving constituents and crafting keen legislation.”
House Democrats sought to oust Santos from office earlier this year through an expulsion vote in mid-May, but that effort failed after House Republicans put forward a motion to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee, which needed only a simple majority in order to pass. No Republicans voted against the motion, securing the majority vote needed to advance the measure.
Despite surviving an expulsion, several Republicans have called on Santos to resign over the last few months. That list includes fellow New York freshmen who flipped several seats in the midterm elections that were key to winning the House majority: Reps. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Brandon Williams (R-NY), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Marc Molinaro (R-NY).
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Santos has also come under intense scrutiny after being indicted by the Justice Department in May on 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and lying to Congress. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denounced the allegations as being politically motivated.
It’s not yet clear if the House will take up the censure resolution, but it’s likely the Democrats will push for a vote before Congress adjourns for the August recess.