The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) put out a video Thursday attacking five New York Republican House members for not moving to expel embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.).
“New York’s extreme MAGA Republicans protected George Santos,” text in the video reads.
The video, from the campaign arm of House Democrats, takes aim at New York Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Brandon Williams, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro and Nick LaLota. All five of them voted to refer a resolution of Santos’s expulsion to the House Ethics Panel in May, despite previous criticism of him.
“Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams turned their backs on New Yorkers by voting to protect an admitted criminal — making it crystal clear they stand with MAGA extremists over New York voters,” DCCC spokesperson Ellie Dougherty said in a statement attached to a press release on the video.
Santos is facing 13 criminal charges from federal prosecutors related to alleged financial crimes. He became the center of controversy after his election in the 2022 midterms for his falsification of his background when running for Congress.
His referral to the House Ethics Panel effectively delayed efforts to expel him, sending the question to committee rather than a floor vote. The GOP holds a slim majority in the upper chamber.
The Hill has reached out to the GOP members named in the ad for comment.
Lawler, who is among a number of Republicans who have openly criticized Santos, called on him to resign ahead of the May vote on his expulsion.
“His conduct is embarrassing and unbecoming, and has proven to be a serious distraction from the important work the House Republican Majority is doing,” Lawler said in a statement at the time.
D’Esposito also issued a strongly worded statement ahead of the vote, arguing that referring Santos to the ethics panel was the quickest way to remove him from Congress because there was not a two-thirds majority in the full chamber needed to expel him outright.
“I fully support expelling the disgusting liar George Santos from the House of Representatives and was one of the first to call for both his resignation and expulsion,” he said.
