Efforts to expel New York's Rep. George Santos fail in House

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- New York Rep. George Santos survived a second attempt Wednesday to expel him from the House with most Republicans opting to keep him in place.

Santos easily survived the expulsion resolution led by five fellow New York Republicans who said Santos represents "the most explicit example of election fraud this cycle."

In a letter sent to fellow lawmakers, first-term Reps. Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Anthony D'Esposito, Marcus Molinaro and Brandon Williams said removing Santos would allow voters to elect a replacement quickly.

"This issue is not a political one, but a moral one," they wrote. "Plain and simple -- this is a question of right and wrong."

Santos is facing a 23-count federal indictment, which included new and existing charges of unlawful monetary transactions, stealing identities and credit card information from donors and reporting a false $500,000 campaign loan. He pleaded not guilty.

Some members of Congress have said they worry that ejecting Santos before a criminal proceeding or a House Ethics Committee report would set a dangerous precedent.

The vote on Wednesday would have require a two-thirds majority.