Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 878 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 878

 Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the 
                United States House of Representatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 2023

Mr. Guest submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Ethics

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the 
                United States House of Representatives.

Whereas Representative George Santos is a Member of the United States House of 
        Representatives;
Whereas soon after his election in November 2022, Representative Santos' 
        background came under public scrutiny;
Whereas, on February 28, 2023, the Committee on Ethics of the House unanimously 
        voted to impanel an Investigative Subcommittee (hereinafter in this 
        resolution referred to as the ``ISC'') to review whether Representative 
        Santos may have engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 
        congressional campaign, failed to properly disclose required information 
        on statements filed with the House, violated Federal conflict of 
        interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary 
        services, and engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking 
        employment in his congressional office;
Whereas the ISC met nine times and, over the course of its investigation, 
        authorized 37 subpoenas and 43 voluntary requests for information (RFIs) 
        leading to its receipt of over 172,000 pages of documents, contacted or 
        interviewed over 40 witnesses, and reviewed materials received from the 
        Office of Congressional Ethics and relevant court records;
Whereas the ISC determined in its investigation that there was substantial 
        evidence of violations of Federal law, the Rules of the House, and other 
        applicable standards related to many of the allegations charged in the 
        indictment, and substantial evidence of additional unlawful and 
        unethical conduct not charged in the indictment;
Whereas these additional violations relate to falsely reported loans reportedly 
        received by his 2020 campaign and leadership political action committee, 
        GADS PAC, improper loan repayments to himself, systemic reporting errors 
        in his 2020 and 2022 campaign's Federal Election Commission filings, and 
        substantial evidence that campaign funds were converted to personal use;
Whereas the ISC also identified additional errors and omissions in his 2020 and 
        2022 Financial Disclosure Statements, as well as violations of Federal 
        law and the Rules of the House related to his unfiled 2021 and 2023 
        Financial Disclosure Statements, which were not charged in the 
        indictment;
Whereas the ISC also found that Representative Santos failed to meet his duty of 
        candor with respect to the ISC's investigation, and instead presented 
        the ISC with misrepresentations and delay tactics;
Whereas, on May 10, 2023, Representative Santos was charged in Federal court in 
        the Eastern District of New York with wire fraud in connection with a 
        fraudulent political contribution scheme, unlawful monetary transactions 
        in connection with the wire fraud allegations, theft of public money in 
        connection with his alleged receipt of unemployment benefits, fraudulent 
        application for and receipt of unemployment benefits, and false 
        statements in connection with his 2020 and 2022 House of Representatives 
        Financial Disclosure Statements;
Whereas Nancy Marks, who served as Treasurer to Representative Santos' campaign, 
        pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, falsifying records, 
        and identity theft in connection with the Santos campaign;
Whereas a superseding indictment was filed on October 10, 2023, charging 
        Representative Santos with additional violations related to his 2022 
        campaign, including allegations of falsifying Federal Election 
        Commission reports in connection with a $500,000 personal loan that was 
        never made, falsifying the names of contributors to his campaign, 
        engaging in aggravated identity theft and access device fraud, and 
        enriching himself through a fraudulent contribution scheme;
Whereas Sam Miele, who served as a fundraiser to Representative Santos' 
        campaign, pleaded guilty to a Federal wire fraud charge after 
        impersonating a senior congressional aide for the purposes of soliciting 
        funds;
Whereas the ISC that was established to review the allegations against 
        Representative Santos adopted a report of its findings and submitted the 
        report to the full committee;
Whereas the Committee on Ethics of the House unanimously voted to adopt the ISC 
        report based upon the investigation providing substantial evidence that 
        Representative Santos--

    (1) knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete 
reports with the Federal Election Commission, used campaign funds for 
personal purposes, engaged in fraudulent conduct in connection with 
RedStone Strategies LLC, and engaged in knowing and willful violations of 
the Ethics in Government Act as it relates to his Financial Disclosure 
Statements filed with the House;

    (2) was a knowing and active participant in the wrongdoing; and

    (3) was given an opportunity, pursuant to Committee Rule 17(b), to 
submit a signed written statement responding to the allegations raised in a 
complaint filed by his fellow Members but did not do so;

Whereas the ISC--

    (1) requested that Representative Santos provide all documents and 
information responsive to its Request for Information, but he did not do 
so;

    (2) asked Representative Santos to voluntarily testify, but he did not 
do so; and

    (3) provided Representative Santos the opportunity, pursuant to 
Committee Rule 19(b)(3), to provide a statement under oath, but he did not 
do so;

Whereas as a Member of the United States House of Representatives, 
        Representative Santos must be held accountable to the highest standards 
        of conduct in order to safeguard the public's faith in this institution;
Whereas the Constitution of the United States charges the House with policing 
        the behavior of its own Members, and the House should take action 
        against Representative Santos commensurate with his violations of 
        Federal law and the Rules of the House; and
Whereas given his egregious violations, Representative George Santos is not fit 
        to serve as a Member of the United States House of Representatives: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That pursuant to article I, section 5, clause 2 of the 
Constitution of the United States, Representative George Santos, be, 
and he hereby is, expelled from the United States House of 
Representatives.
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