WASHINGTON–Speaker Kevin McCarthy explained Tuesday night how Rep. George Santos could exit Congress through the House Ethics Committee, though he has continued to stick by the embattled freshman Republican from New York.
“If for some way when we go through Ethics and he has broken the law, then we will remove him, but it’s not my role,” McCarthy said. “I believe in the rule of law. A person’s innocent until proven guilty.”
The speaker elaborated on the issue to reporters this week in his most extensive comments about Santos since members were sworn in earlier this month.McCarthy could not by himself expel Santos from the chamber even if he wanted to – that would take a vote by two-thirds of the House – but he could marshal his caucus for such a vote in the future.
“The American public in his district voted for him. He has a responsibility to uphold what they voted for, to work and have their voice here, but at any time, if it rises to a legal level, we will deal with it then,” McCarthy said.
He added that he’s been standing by him because voters elected him and hedoesn’t have the power as speaker to remove him.
Pressure builds to remove Santos
McCarthy’s remarks come after top GOP leaders have begun to open the door to an Ethics probeKentucky GOP Rep. James Comer a key McCarthy lieutenant who chairs the Oversight Committee, told CNN Sunday that Santos is a “bad guy” and his lies are “pretty despicable.”
Santos, who has admitted to lying to voters about his personal and professional background, is facing the most scrutiny for campaign finance reports.
He told reporters Wednesday that he would have an answer on why he recently amended his public filings to show that he did not personally contribute $500,000 to his campaign, but he did not say when.
New York Democratic Reps. Daniel Goldman and Ritchie Torres filed a complaint with the Ethics Committee earlier this month, urging the panel to investigate Santos and his campaign finance reports. He is also facing legal inquiries at the local and state levels, with members of his own party calling on him to resign.
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Can Kevin McCarthy remove George Santos from Congress?
McCarthy has largely stood by Santos, saying the Constitution dictates it’s up to the voters. He has allowed the New York congressman …read more
Source:: AOL.com