GOP leaders stand by Santos as New York Republicans call on him to resign

WASHINGTON — New York Republicans are ready to rid themselves of Rep. George Santos, the newly elected congressman from Long Island who has admitted to fabricating parts of his resume and is under multiple local and federal investigations into his yearslong pattern of political deception.

House Republican leaders, not so much.

Amid mounting calls for his resignation from Republican members of Congress from New York and state party officials, Santos still has the backing of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other House Republican leaders.

In a news conference at the Capitol on Thursday, McCarthy made it clear that he had no intention of barring Santos from congressional committees or otherwise penalizing him for winning election under false pretenses.

“The voters of his district have elected him,” McCarthy said. “He is seated. He is part of the Republican conference.”

He added that Santos would face the House Ethics Committee, which considers allegations of misconduct by members.

“If anything is found to be wrong, he will be held accountable exactly as anybody else in this body would be,” McCarthy said.

The disconnect between the reaction from Republicans in Nassau County, New York, and those in Washington reflects the differing political realities for both groups. In Congress, Republicans, who hold a paper-thin majority in the House, have much more on the line if they lose his seat. McCarthy can’t spare a single vote in the House — least of all one who was a reliable supporter during the 15 rounds it took for him to secure the speakership.

In the 2020 presidential election, President Joe Biden won Santos’ district by 8.2 points. If he were to resign from Congress, prompting a special election for the seat, there is no guarantee that Republicans would be able to win it again.

The New York Republicans who have repudiated Santos, by contrast, fear suffering by association with a man whose scandals threaten to tarnish what was a resurgent year for the party throughout the state. Five of the six representatives who have called on Santos to step down won seats in competitive districts where they are expected to face fierce challenges from Democrats in 2024.

Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota, Nick Langworthy and Brandon Williams, all newly elected from New York, called for Santos’ resignation on Wednesday. The Nassau County GOP chair, Joseph G. Cairo Jr., has also called for Santos to step down. On Thursday, two more Republican freshmen from New York, Reps. Mike Lawler and Marc Molinaro, said that they, too, believed Santos should resign.