NY Republicans Urge Santos to Step Down

McCarthy says Santos won't be seated on any top committees
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 11, 2023 1:57 PM CST
NY Republicans Urge Santos to Step Down
Rep. George Santos departs a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Republican leaders in Long Island say they no longer want to be associated with Rep. George Santos. A group of senior Republicans from the state urged Santos to step down Wednesday, saying he ran a campaign based on lies, Reuters reports. "He’s disgraced the House of Representatives, and we do not consider him one of our congresspeople," said Nassau County GOP chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr., per the New York Times. "Today on behalf of the Nassau County Republican committee. I am calling for his immediate resignation."

Republican Rep. Joseph D'Esposito, who represents a neighboring district, said he will encourage others in the House "to join me in rejecting him." He said Santos, who has admitted lying about his background, violated the trust of "not only the voters, but people across America."

Santos represents New York's 3rd congressional district, a perennial swing seat. Sources tell Politico that GOP leaders are worried that it will swing back to Democrats for a long time to come unless they distance the party from Santos, who is facing multiple investigations and a House ethics complaint involving allegations of campaign finance violations. Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that he won't seat Santos on any top House committees, including those that handle classified information, though he didn't comment on the statement from Long Island Republicans, NBC reports. Asked if he would heed calls to resign, Santos told reporters, "I will not, I will not." (More George Santos stories.)

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