Embattled gay U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-New York) has remained defiant ahead of a second expulsion vote scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, according to CNN.
Santos has repeatedly said that he will not resign, but momentum against him is building after the release of a report from the House Ethics Committee earlier this month that concluded that he "sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has said that he has "real reservations" about the move to expel Santos, citing the precedent it could set.
Besides the Ethics Committee investigation, Santos has also pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 unemployment benefits, the misuse of campaign funds and lies about his personal finances.
Santoswho survived a bipartisan effort to expel him from the U.S. House on Nov. 1has said that he will not seek re-election because of the House report.
Andrew Davis