George Santos expulsion resolution filed by House Democrats

WASHINGTON — A group of House Democrats on Thursday filed a resolution calling for Rep. George Santos’ expulsion from Congress, in the first legislative effort to remove the embattled first-term lawmaker.

The resolution, sponsored by freshmen Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Becca Balint of Vermont and Eric Sorensen of Illinois, calls on the House to expel Santos (R-Nassau/Queens) under a provision in the U.S. Constitution that allows both the House and Senate to “punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour.”

“His constituents want him expelled, they want him gone and so he should resign,” Garcia told reporters at a news conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

The Democrats' expulsion resolution would appear to be a long shot.

Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote of members who are present and voting.

Republicans have a 222-212 majority in the House, with one vacancy, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has resisted calls to remove Santos.

The resolution was introduced two days after a busload of constituents from New York’s 3rd Congressional District delivered a petition to Santos, McCarthy and other GOP leaders calling for Santos to be expelled.

The resolution first must be taken up by the House Ethics Committee, which has five Republican members, including Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), and five Democrats.

McCarthy has said the Ethics Committee process must be allowed to play out before deciding on Santos' fate in the chamber. The committee has yet to convene since the January start of the new congressional session.

Asked about the resolution, Santos, the subject of county, state and federal probes into his campaign finances, told reporters outside his office that its sponsors believed in "silencing the electorate of the United States."

Santos also told Newsday earlier in the day he did not attend a classified House hearing Thursday morning on China’s intercepted surveillance balloon.

“I chose not to go," Santos said. "I know how I stand on China. I did not need a classified briefing to change my opinion on what China stands for, for this country.”

Several lawmakers, including Garcia, had raised concerns about the possibility of Santos attending the briefing, which was for all House members, as he faces probes over the source of $700,000 he initially said he had lent his campaign for Congress.

“You’re literally giving someone who’s a fraud and a liar access to America’s secrets,” Garcia said of his concerns surrounding Santos’ access to classified information as a member of Congress.

McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Wednesday told CNN "yes" he was OK with Santos attending the classified hearing.

But in January, McCarthy told reporters that Santos' was unlikely to have access to sensitive information, saying Santos has "got a long way to go to earn trust."

Santos is expected to be back in the 3rd Congressional District because the House will be adjourned until Feb. 27 to allow lawmakers to spend time working in their districts.

Santos' office did not detail his plans for the two-week period when asked by Newsday.

Also Thursday, a report in POLITICO said Santos was charged with theft in 2017 after a series of bad checks totaling more than $15,000 were written in his name to dog breeders in Pennsylvania's Amish Country.

Days after the November 2017 checks were written, and the puppies were purchased, Santos held a puppy adoption event at a Staten Island pet shop under the banner of his charity Friends of Pets United, where he charged adoption fees of up to $400, according to the report.

The theft charges against Santos were dropped and later expunged in November 2021 after his lawyer at the time asserted that his checkbook had been stolen. 

Santos and his lawyer did not respond to the report.

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.