Congressman George Santos has managed to get into a Twitter fight with fellow New York House Republicans, and it’s quickly turning personal, with his Long Island neighbor Nick LaLota calling him a “terrible person” who should be thrown out of Congress “ASAP.”
It all began with reports that Representative Anthony D’Esposito was circulating the proposed text of a bill that would bar members of Congress from making money off of their fraudulent actions. D’Esposito, a freshman congressman like Santos, was the first Republican member of the New York congressional delegation to call for Santos’s resignation in light of his many falsehoods.
The bill, if passed, would “prohibit Members of the House of Representatives who are convicted of offenses involving financial or campaign finance fraud from receiving compensation for biographies, media appearances, or expressive or creative works, and for other purposes,” according to Politico.
When asked if the bill, which is entitled the “No Fortune for Fraud Act,” was aimed at Santos specifically, D’Esposito told The Hill “it’s one of those things that if the shoe fits, wear it; in his case, even if the shoe doesn’t fit he still wears it.”
Three other New York Republican representatives who have also called for Santos’s resignation are planning to co-sponsor the bill, according to Axios: Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, and Nick LaLota.
D’Esposito took to Twitter to promote the legislation, writing, “Frauds shouldn’t be able to profit from their deceptions at the public’s expense.”
Santos responded in a now-deleted tweet, leveling several accusation against D’Esposito. He said that the congressman, who is a former police officer, “lost his NYPD issued GUN while he was DJing at a party” and assaulted a 72-year-old woman.
“You sir are the example of a bad cop who give cops a bad name. Spare me,” Santos wrote.
LaLota quickly came to D’Esposito’s defense, calling Santos a “terrible person.”
In an additional statement to Politico, LaLota went even further:
LaLota may have issues with Santos that go beyond his rampant lying. Newsday reported in February that Santos provided behind-the-scenes support to Michelle Bond, who ran against LaLota during the primary.
Republican Representative Brandon Williams also defended D’Esposito, tweeting that he “has more integrity in his pinky than George Santo[s] has in his entire body.”
Santos’s battle with his neighboring Republicans could potentially have big consequences. Bloomberg reports that D’Esposito, Molinaro, and LaLota all support a resolution filed by House Democrats to expel Santos from Congress. The largely symbolic motion would need backing from two-thirds of the House to succeed.
More on politics
- Trump Doesn’t Just Like Putin — He’s Like Putin
- Trump to Personally Investigate ‘Stolen’ Fort Knox Gold Theory
- HUD TVs Hacked to Play Video of Trump Kissing Musk’s Feet
