(CNN) — The House voted this Friday to expel Republican Rep. Jorge Santos, a historic vote that makes the New York congressman the sixth lawmaker to be expelled from the chamber.
The New York congressman has survived previous attempts to impeach him, but this latest effort is gaining momentum after the House Ethics Committee released a long-awaited report in November that concluded Santos had tried to “fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House.” Filing nomination for his personal financial interest.
Many Republicans, who previously did not support ousting Santos, said they would vote to oust him as a result of the ethics committee’s findings, though it was unclear before the vote whether Congress would have enough support to impeach him.
Expulsion is the most severe form of punishment for House lawmakers. It is extremely rare and requires a two-thirds majority to win, a very high bar. Only five parliamentarians have been expelled.
Rep. Mark Molinaro, Republican of New York, said Speaker Mike Johnson told the House Republican caucus Friday morning that he would vote against the measure to oust Santos and encouraged members to vote however their districts choose.
Santos announced he would not run for re-election following the publication of the ethics report, but has refused to resign and has denounced the investigation as a “disgusting politicized scandal”.
News in development…