Can't get rid of Santos without 2/3 House vote

                                                                                      

George Santos

Nassau Republicans, as predicted, are expected to call Wednesday for the resignation of 3rd District GOP Congressman George Santos because of lying about his background and possibly fraudulent reporting and spending of his campaign funds.

See news alert.



A collective call for Santos resignation was expected as soon as he voted for U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker. Santos voted last week.

It will takes one issue away from Nassau and State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, who has needled his Republican counterparts for not demanding Santos' ouster. 

Jacobs -- and other Democrats -- called for Santos to resign as soon as the New York Times three weeks ago reported that Santos had lied on his public resume.

Santos, who was always a sketchy candidate, soundly defeated Democratic commentator and public relations executive Robert Zimmeran for the open 3rd District seat last November.

But it is unlikely that Santos will resign as he collects his $174,000 in salary along with more than $1 million in allocations for travel, office expenses and staff.

And it appears that there is not much anyone can do about it, even if Santos is eventually convicted as a result of many criminal investigations underway into his activities.

According to legal citations the only way to force out a sitting member of Congress is for two-thirds of the House to vote to expel him.

See below:

Article I, Section 5, of the United States Constitution provides that "Each House [of Congress] may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member." 

According to Congressional Research Service reports: "While there are no specific grounds for an expulsion expressed in the Constitution, expulsion actions in both the House and the Senate have generally concerned cases of perceived disloyalty to the United States, or the conviction of a criminal statutory offense which involved abuse of one’s official position. Each house has broad authority as to the grounds, nature, timing, and procedure for an expulsion of a Member"

It also notes that the Constitution does not provide any mechanism for voters to recall a member of Congress.

Given McCarthy's slim House majority, it seems unlikely he would want to chance expelling a representative who will vote with him and the other Republicans. His replacement, at this point, would probably be a Democrat.

We will have to see.

But don't you think Santos already researched this?

The okay signal does seem an alternative for a middle-finger gesture.

                                                                    

George Santos being sworn in as Congressman (Pat Benic/UPI/shutterstock)

      

                                                                            


 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CSEA retirees file suit to stop new contract insurance change (Updated)

Image
Civil Service Employee Association retirees today were in court attempting to stop a change in health insurance included in a new union contract scheduled to take effect Jan.1. The "Nassau Retirees Legal Fund" and eight other CSEA employees argue in a class action lawsuit filed today against Nassau and County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Nassau Supreme Court that they face  " imminent and irreparable medical, emotional, and financial harm because the County intends to deprive them of promised health benefits in 2024." The new contract negotiated between the union and Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman and ratified by members in August changes the health insurance from New York's Empire plan -- which provides platinum coverage -- to the New York Excelsior plan. The Excelsior plan is more costly for union members but less expensive for the county.  Update:  The state, meanwhile, has increased rates for the Excelsior plan -- in come cases by more than 40 pe
Read more

Nassau CSEA contract deal -- talk of the county for two days -- finally announced (UPDATED)

Image
Talk around Nassau County for the past two days has been that Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman had struck a new labor agreement, signed Monday, with the county's largest union, the Nassau Civil Service Employees Association. The CSEA, which include most non-law enforcement county employees, has been working without a contract since the end of 2017. As of June, there were 3,359 fulltime CSEA members. An announcement went out late today but it didn't say much: A spokesman for Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not respond to an email today asking when the CSEA deal would be announced. Everyone is looking at the CSEA because exempt employees -- county workers who are hired and fired at will -- traditionally are given the same benefits as the union members. But the exempts are not happy with some of the rumors about the agreement: one is that the CSEA will take a lesser health insurance plan in return for an upfront payment, perhaps of $1,500, for each member.
Read more

Eisenhower Park restaurant to be run by D'Amato client

Image
                                                                                A Manhasset group with ties to the food service business has won its bid to run a county-owned restaurant, cigar club, and golf concessions in Eisenhower Park,  replacing longtime operator Anthony Capetola. Capetola, a colorful Republican lawyer, has operated Carltun on the Park since 1995 through various license agreements and extensions under four different county executives, Republican and Democrat. But the county selected EGB Hospitality LLC of Manhasset from two proposals for a new 15-year operating license that begins this fall, with another five-year option, according to the deal submitted to the county legislature for approval on Monday. Lawyer Elias Trahanas, of Great Neck appears to be the lead principal in the five-member EGH group, along with his brother Bobby.  EGB Management Team Both Elias and Bobby trace their food service roots to the family-operated Golden Reef Diner in Rockville Centre, s
Read more