George Santos, Charged With Fraud, Faces Expulsion Resolution by Fellow NY Republicans

Six first-term Republicans from New York plan to introduce a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from the House of Representatives. 

For Context: Federal prosecutors introduced 10 new charges against Santos on Tuesday, including wire fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft — adding to the 13 fraud-related changes he already faced. Santos denied “every last bit of charges,” rejected the idea of a plea deal, and pledged to run for reelection in 2024. The New York Republican first caught the media’s attention when he admitted to lying about his résumé during the 2022 midterm election. Since then, he has rejected bipartisan calls to resign. Previous attempts to expel him from Congress were blocked by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who said an expulsion vote would be held if the House Ethics Committee found Santos had broken the law. 

Key Quote: One of the six congressmen seeking to expel Santos, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY), called him a “fraudster” who was “not fit to serve in the House of Representatives.” D'Esposito added, “He's a stain on the institution, and that's why the New York freshmen have come together. He's also a stain on our state.”

How the Media Covered It: No mainstream news coverage appeared to frame Santos favorably. Coverage from the right generally framed Santos as “embattled.” Some coverage from the left was more descriptive, framing him as a “political liability” known for “lying about his entire background.”