New York Republicans accuse Democrats of bailing out Santos for political gain

New York Republicans are criticizing their Democratic counterparts for offering Rep. George Santos (R-NY) a lifeline by voting against his expulsion on Wednesday evening, accusing the opposite party of political gamesmanship.

The House voted to strike down a motion to expel Santos from the House after 30 Democrats broke with their party to keep the New York freshman in office. The move contrasts with Democratic efforts to oust Santos earlier this year when nearly all Democrats voted to remove him from the chamber in May. (Seven Democrats voted present at the time, although none voted against the motion.)

DEMOCRATS LAUNCH ATTACK ADS AGAINST VULNERABLE REPUBLICANS OVER ELECTION OF SPEAKER JOHNSON

“I don’t know how Democrats come to the conclusion that they would vote against expulsion when only months ago, they chastised us for not taking action to expel him,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) told the Washington Examiner. “And things have only gotten worse. He’s admitted guilt, there’s been additional indictments, and his very own treasurer has pled guilty. Not quite sure how they justify their changing behavior. But you know, that’s for them to explain.”

The failed resolution marks the second time Santos has avoided an expulsion from the House after Republicans voted in May to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee for an investigation. However, that motion was brought by Democrats compared to Wednesday’s resolution that was introduced by Santos’s Republican colleagues in his own state of New York — bringing a heightened level of consequence to the vote.

But the motion lost traction after the Ethics Committee released a statement the day before that it would release further details on its findings in late November, prompting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to vote against Santos’s expulsion until the investigation is complete.

The resolution would have required a two-thirds majority to pass the lower chamber, meaning at least 78 Republicans would have needed to join all Democrats in advancing the measure. However, only 24 Republicans voted in favor of the motion, which was counteracted by more than 30 Democrats who broke with their party to vote against it.

Several lawmakers cited the continuing ethics investigation as part of their reasoning, but some of the New York Republicans railed against their Democratic colleagues for wanting to keep Santos in office for political gain.

“I would suspect they love the politics of this,” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) said. “They love not talking about the border. They’re not talking about the budget. They love talking about George Santos, and their political priorities are probably misaligned.”

Several of the New York Republicans, including Molinaro and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, told the Washington Examiner they expect another effort to expel Santos once that inquiry is complete, depending on the evidence that is released.

“Let’s see what the report says,” Molinaro said. “I certainly hope and expect that it’ll be pretty damning, and then we’ll have to take appropriate action.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Meanwhile, Santos has continued to maintain his innocence, remaining adamant he will not resign from his seat to which he was “duly elected.” Instead, the New York freshman criticized his fellow Republicans for their “failed political stunt” in a statement on Thursday morning.

“With my unwavering dedication to fiscal responsibility, strong national defense, and protecting our constitutional rights, I will remain a valuable voice in Congress,” he said. “My continued presence ensures that the concerns and needs of New York’s 3rd Congressional District are effectively represented.”