GOP Rep Calls the Move to Expel George Santos the ‘Congressional Equivalent of a Public Crucifixion’
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
As the House of Representatives moves closer to expelling ethically-challenged Rep. George Santos (R-NY), some in his party are still sticking by him. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), in a letter to his GOP colleagues, dramatically equated the move to expel to a “public crucifixion.”
Dated November 25, Higgins expressed “serious concerns” with the move to expel Santos, citing previous matters of ethics violations with members of Congress being “conducted quietly, reflective of our Constitutional standards of innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.” But in the case of Santos, Higgins claimed that “the very fact that we have all read ‘the investigative report’ indicates a level of public character assassination that I have not witnessed through 4 terms of Congressional service.”
Higgins also expressed doubt about the content and allegations of the report, saying that the report itself was “FILLED with conjecture, opinion, and pejorative language” and “stinks of politics” despite being written by a Republican when the House has only a slim Republican majority.
The martyr-like portrayal of Santos by Higgins went on:
This report is posing as an objective presentation of fact, yet it is most certainly written with notable disregard for professional objectivity, and it is wrapped in a media incensed public disclosure that any reasonable man can see is the Congressional equivalent of a public crucifixion. I’m stunned that Members would cheer for this public shaming and expulsion. It’s like witnessing an otherwise fair and compassionate village gather to celebrate the burning of an alleged witch.
The letter was sent more than a week after Santos was the subject of a scorching report by the House Ethics Committee that accused the freshman representative of spending campaign funds on personal purchases including Botox, designer shoes, and porn. Santos has also been indicted on 23 federal counts including fraud and conspiracy; he has pleaded not guilty.
After the release of the report, Santos announced he would not run for reelection in 2024, but would not resign. Chair of the House Ethics Committee Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) formally introduced a motion to expel Santos on November 17.
