The House shot down a motion to oust GOP Rep. George Santos (R-NY) on Thursday.  This comes as Santos faces numerous federal accusations and a trial date slated for September 2024. 

#BREAKING: Effort to expel George Santos from the House fails https://t.co/XnlqMIthVX pic.twitter.com/ycwj4roqDW

— The Hill (@thehill) November 1, 2023

The initiative to expel Santos was initiated by a group of his fellow New York Republicans, and it marks the second time his peers have attempted to remove him. However, the chamber rejected it in a 179-213-19 vote. 

Back in May, the House voted to refer a Democrat-led motion to expel to the Ethics Committee, even though the committee had already been investigating Santos for months.

The House Ethics Committee had indicated that the “next course of action” in the ongoing inquiry would be revealed by November 17th.

The group leading the charge cited a guilty plea from Santos’ former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, as one of the reasons for the action. Marks pled guilty last month to collaborating with Santos to falsify his campaign finance reports.

Her guilty plea prompted federal prosecutors to charge Santos with 10 new felony counts — among them: falsifying campaign finance records and charging contributors’ credit cards without their permission. This increased the total number of charges against Santos to 23. 

This time around, House leadership did not seek to refer this expulsion resolution to the Ethics Committee. This means that the chamber had to directly weigh in on the legislation without the committee’s involvement. New York Republicans had indicated that they would reject any attempt to postpone the vote, as it would effectively kill the motion.

Despite mounting legal difficulties, Santos has consistently pled not guilty and expressed no intentions of resigning from his position. His refusal to step down has sparked controversy on both sides, with some calling the charges against him into question and praising his 100% conservative voting record. 

AWFUL! Dirty NY RINOs Fail to Toss Republican George Santos from Congress – Who Holds a 100% Conservative Voting Record via @gatewaypundit https://t.co/XNcbrlOh9a

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) November 2, 2023

Meanwhile, some conservatives feel just the opposite.

🚨JUST IN: the House overwhelmingly rejected a resolution to expel serial fraudster George Santos.
213 voted no. 179 voted yes.

What a disgrace! pic.twitter.com/0lTsteyQ7G

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 1, 2023

Santos’ legal woes go beyond these federal accusations, tacking on charges for deceiving donors, unemployment fraud and lying on House financial statements. 

The rejection of this motion does not absolve Santos of the accusations against him, but it is worth noting that the Ethics Committee’s upcoming actions in the ongoing inquiry might shed further light on the situation.

.@RepLaLota (R-NY) said he would offer a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) again after the Ethics Committee releases their report later this month. He also predicted after the committee report, more Republicans and Democrats would vote in favor of expulsion. pic.twitter.com/WKHEdWvW6E

— CSPAN (@cspan) November 2, 2023

The Sept. 2024 trial date will be a critical moment for Santos, as it will provide an opportunity for him to present his case and defend himself against the charges. Until then, the accusations and the subsequent legal proceedings will continue to cast a shadow over his tenure as a representative.