GOP had New Yorkers lead way in expelling Santos. Will it help them keep majority?
WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — George Santos is out of the House of Representatives, but his name is sure to pop up in key congressional races in New York next year. Democrats are targeting five seats from first-term Republicans and want to associate them as often as possible with their former colleague in the state's congressional delegation.
How successful the Democrats are in this could help determine which party will have the majority in the House of Representatives in 2025.
The strategy of association became clear when Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York excoriated Republicans in comments that led to Santos' expulsion Friday.
“Look, House Republicans knew a lot about George Santos before he was elected. And we have reason to believe that we have deliberately kept that information out of the public domain or deliberately turned a blind eye,” Jeffries said. “And then, when the information exploded into the public domain, you continue to coddle George Santos and play footy with him for most of the year.”
Concerns that Santos might undermine other Republican members' standing with voters became apparent as New Yorkers came to the fore in the effort to oust Santos.
Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, a Republican whose district borders Santos', offered the deportation legislation to be acted upon within two days, even though it was written by a Mississippi lawmaker, Republican Rep. Michael Guest, chairman of the House ethics committee.
Those watching D'Esposito read the resolution on television saw Rep. Nick LaLota sitting to his left and Rep. Mike Lawler directly behind him. Both are first-term lawmakers from New York whose districts favored Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Biden carried D'Esposito's district by more than 14 percentage points.
D'Esposito also led the debate for deportation advocates when the resolution reached the House of Representatives. Santos moderated the debate for those arguing against the resolution. LaLota and Lawler also spoke, as did Rep. Marc Molinaro, another New York Republican who at one point became irritated when concerns were raised that the House was setting a precedent by expelling members before they had their day in court.
“Dear God, Mr. Chairman, my future former colleague is divorced from reality,” Molinaro said. “He fabricated his entire life to defraud the voters of his district of a fair choice for a member of Congress.”
Santos won his district on Long Island with 54% of the vote, flipping a seat held by Democrats. But soon after, reports surfaced that Santos had lied about his Jewish heritage, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree. He turned into a distraction and an embarrassment to his company. Then came federal indictments and the highly critical report from the House of Representatives Ethics Committee. Santos has pleaded not guilty.
In an adjacent district, D'Esposito won with 52% of the vote, Lawler won a suburban district just north of New York City with 50% of the vote. Molinaro with 51% and Brandon Williams, also with 51%, were also able to achieve close victories.
In May, all five Republicans voted to refer a Democratic-backed resolution to expel Santos to the Ethics Commission. It was a party line vote. In a second deportation attempt, about six months later, all five voted to deport Santos, and they did so again on Friday.
Molinaro said he believes voters will move away from Santos, noting that 2024 is a presidential election year, with the race for the White House receiving more attention.
“George Santos is a dishonest fraudster and must be judged based on his actions. The rest of us must be based on our actions,” he said.
D'Esposito made clear after presenting the Republican-led expulsion resolution that Republican leadership agreed that members of the New York delegation should be seen as leaders of the effort.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could be seen speaking to New Yorkers for several minutes before D'Esposito offered the expulsion resolution earlier that day as a counter to a Democratic-led resolution. After the vote, Johnson went to New York for fundraising events with several Republicans involved in ousting Santos.
When asked why a New Yorker offered a resolution sponsored by a Mississippi congressman, D'Esposito said Guest “understood how important this is to New Yorkers, especially us freshmen.”
“We flipped seats that are important, that got this majority,” D'Esposito said. “And if we want to keep those seats, I think we have to get rid of the stain that is George Santos.”
A special election for Santos' seat is likely to be held in mid-to-late February, within a time frame set by state law. The Democrats will have a good chance of winning back the seat. The already crowded field also includes Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who previously represented the district before making an unsuccessful bid for governor.
Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the House Republican campaign arm, dismissed the threat that Santos would infect other Republicans. Hudson said voters next year will worry about the toll of inflation and whether their children are safe in their neighborhoods and schools.
“They didn't care who the congressman was somewhere around,” said Hudson, RN.C.
Democrats disagree, saying the deportation was too little, too late. Ellie Dougherty, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Republicans in New York have protected Santos for months.
“Whether on Long Island or in the Hudson Valley or central New York, we will make sure voters know who is responsible for enabling distrust and corruption ahead of next year's elections – and that is the Republican Party,” she said.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.