'Handcuffs': GOP's George Santos expulsion to move forward with new speaker
It may be congressional curtains for Rep. George Santos (R-NY).
Santos' New York House lawmaker colleagues brought forward a measure last week to toss Santos from Congress, in the wake of federal prosecutors handing down an indictment against the outspoken Republican for committing fraud and conspiracy, according to a CBS News report.
Santos has pleaded not guilty and shot back at the defrauding of his donors specifically as a "bullsh-t" charge.
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The effort got underway as the House was stuck in a speaker-less stalemate for three weeks.
It now has every chance to push ahead with using the vaudeville hook and clip Santos' congressional wings.
That's because of Wednesday's victorious vote to secure Rep. Mike Ryan (R-LA) to fill the plum gig.
Last week, two of Santos' fellow Republicans on Long Island, Reps. Anthony D'Esposito and Nick Lalota, announced the expulsion effort would catch on "like wildfire" among fellow House members, based on the superseding indictment that added on more allegations ranging from wire fraud to identity theft to falsification of records.
In an interview with CBS News, LaLota voiced hopes to entreat co-sponsors to hop on board to deliver Santos a formal pink slip.
"It's all organic," he said. "Everybody knows the facts of the case. The facts are not good for Mr. Santos. That's why I expect Democrats and Republicans to remove him as soon as possible."
Fellow Republican New Yorker, Rep. Marc Molinaro, told CBS News he expects a vote to boot Santos will come soon.
"George Santos is a liar and a fraud who should not be a member of Congress," he told the outlet. "Since he won't resign and with the House Ethics Committee not moving at the pace we had hoped, we're adjusting our approach and pushing forward a resolution to expel him."
And Rep. Brandon Williams told CBS News that he foresees Santos will be preparing for time behind bars.
He told the outlet "we would see George Santos in front of a judge in handcuffs."