Several Colorado lawmakers said they would back an effort to expel New York Republican Rep. George Santos.
Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, chair of the House Ethics Committee, introduced a resolution Friday morning calling for Santos’ removal from Congress. It comes after his committee issued a report that said Santos “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”
“The evidence uncovered in the Ethics Committee’s Investigative Subcommittee investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion,” Guest said in a statement.
Guest is expected to mark the resolution as privileged when the House returns from the Thanksgiving break, setting up a two day window to vote on the measure. It would take 290 votes for Santos to be expelled, which would narrow House Republicans’ already slim majority.
A subcommittee investigation found that Santos lied about more than his resume. The allegations include diverting campaign cash for personal use, from Botox treatments to buying luxury goods to OnlyFans, an adult social media site. The report also found he deceived donors and reported fictitious loans, then diverted the money as purported repayments of the fictitious loans.
Colorado Rep. Ken Buck wrote on X Thursday that he hopes Santos resigns. But if not, “I will join my colleagues in voting for his expulsion.”
Buck, who had voted against a previous measure to remove Santos in early November said then that Santos was entitled to due process after facing a 23 count indictment.
“The Ethics Committee, I think, gave him the opportunity. He did not avail himself of that opportunity,” Buck said. "The committee found that he did not cooperate with the investigation and I think he’s been given the fair due process now.”
In early November, Colorado’s other two GOP representatives also voted against expelling Santos.
A spokesperson for GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn said he’s reviewing the information shared by the committee “and will then make a determination based on the findings.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert’s office said she is not commenting at the moment. In recent months, she and Santos could often be seen sitting together on the House floor, and on Tuesday, Santos was seen feeding Boebet’s grandson a bottle during a vote series.
Several Colorado Democratic congress members said they will also support the resolution, with several of them voting to expel the controversial congressman earlier this month. Reps. Yardia Caraveo and Jason Crow voted to expel Santos then, and their position has not changed. A spokesperson for Rep. Joe Neguse also said he would support an expulsion resolution.
“The Ethics Committee released a thorough, bipartisan report detailing the illicit and corrupt behavior of a man trying to deceive the voters,” said Rep. Brittany Pettersen. “The American people deserve better from their government and if Rep. Santos does not resign, I will vote yes on any expulsion resolution brought to the floor.”
The Dean of the Colorado delegation, Rep. Diana DeGette, said the report confirms what many already knew about Santos’ “fraudulent record.”
“The people of NY-3 deserve far better. He should resign or face expulsion,” she wrote on X.
Santos has blasted the ethics committee and the report, but added Thursday that he would not seek reelection for a second term. He said he plans to hold a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 30, when the chamber returns from break.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story said the House was considering impeachment against Santos. Members of congress are expelled, not impeached. The story has been corrected.
