House Democrats file motion to expel Rep. George Santos
NEW YORK - A group of House Democrats insisted they were left with no other choice but to file a resolution to expel embattled Republican Rep. George Santos from Congress.
"There’s something sick about a man who lies and violates every law imaginable," said Rep. Ritchie Torres.
The push came after Santos sat in his first classified briefing Thursday with other members of Congress on the Chinese spy balloon.
Even some members of Santos’ own party including Sen. Mitt Romney are also calling for his resignation along with Long Island Republican Representatives Nick LaLota and Anthony D’Esposito who say they support permanently removing Santos.
After the State of the Union Address Romney spoke of Santos.
"He shouldn’t be in Congress, and they are going to go through the process and hopefully get him out," Romney told reporters afterward. "But he shouldn’t be there, and if he had any shame at all he wouldn’t be there."
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According to a law expert, being that this is a resolution- it only needs a 2/3 majority vote in the House but in order for the vote to take place - the GOP leadership has to bring it to the floor for an up or down vote. There is no word if that will happen.
Also on Thursday, it was reported that Santos was charged with criminal theft in Pennsylvania in 2017 in connection with bad checks apparently used to buy puppies from dog breeders, according to a lawyer who said she helped the Republican with the case.
RELATED: Santos under investigation by House ethics panel, McCarthy confirms
The case was ultimately dismissed after Santos said the nine checks, totaling more than $15,000, were from a checkbook that had been stolen from him, according to information provided to The Associated Press on Thursday by the attorney, Tiffany Bogosian.
The theft case, first reported by Politico, adds to the controversy surrounding the first-term Long Island congressman, who faces multiple investigations and has acknowledged lying about elements of his life story.
RELATED: Rep. George Santos' office vandalized
A spokesperson for the York County district attorney's office in Pennsylvania, where the charges were filed, said the office cannot comment on expunged cases. Pennsylvania state police officials did not return messages seeking comment.
A congressional aide to Santos referred questions to his attorney, Joseph Murray, who didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Santos has previously denied any illegal doings.
The charges date to a time when Santos claimed to be leading a group, Friends of Pets United, that benefited sick, abandoned or neglected animals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.