Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is telling reporters that he thinks those who want him expelled have the votes to boot him from the House.
Santos said as he was leaving the House floor:
Walking off the House floor just now, George Santos says he still believes his colleagues will expel him. “I have a gut feeling. And my gut feeling is they have the votes,” he tells me.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) November 30, 2023
Those looking to expel Santos are feeling very good about their odds of success, but the truth is that no one knows for certain what is going to happen.
House Republican leadership does not support expelling Santos because of the precedent it would set, but will that be enough.
It can be argued that George Santos is an unprecedented situation. Santos is the first known member to have obtained their seat by fraudulent means. Santos was also found by the Ethics Committee to have committed crimes against the House of Representatives.
The historical precedent has been that a member is not expelled from the House until after they are criminally convicted, but since George Santos obtained his seat through fraud, it is unclear if the previous precedent is applicable.
Republican leadership also does not want Santos expelled, his departure will reduce their majority to three seats.
It is expected that Democrats will win any special election to fill the remainder of the Santos term.
George Santos thinks that he is toast, but the vote will still likely be close, and either outcome is bad for Republicans.
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