Kevin McCarthy says nemesis Matt Gaetz’s conduct could be WORSE than George Santos amid ongoing Ethics probe – and says he only ‘brushed shoulders’ with Tim Burchett but didn’t punch him
- ‘I can’t be involved in that,’ he said of Gaetz’s potential ouster once an Ethics report is released. ‘It seems even worse than Santos’
- Santos is expected to be ousted on Thursday
- ‘I personally have real reservations about doing this,’ said Speaker Mike Johnson. ‘I’m concerned about a precedent that may be set for that’
DAILY MAIL
Two months after Matt Gaetz kicked off Kevin McCarthy‘s historic ouster, the former speaker is warning he could soon be staring down political troubles of his own.
McCarthy has long said that Gaetz kicked off the motion to vacate process that cost him his job because of a vendetta against him for not killing an Ethics investigation of alleged sexual misconduct and misuse of funds.
Little has been revealed about the Ethics probe, which started then stopped then started again due to a separate Department of Justice investigation into Gaetz.
McCarthy refused to say whether Gaetz himself would be ousted once the Ethics Committee releases a report on its findings. ‘I can’t be involved in that,’ he said. ‘What I do know, from what people have said and written about it, it seems even worse than Santos.’
The Long Island liar George Santos, R-N.Y., escaped one expulsion vote unscathed when 31 Democrats and most Republicans voted against ousting him, many of them saying they wanted to wait to see the report the bipartisan Ethics Committee came out with.
The report, released this month, found Santos had used campaign money and donations to fund a lavish lifestyle, engaged in fraud, filed false election reports and ‘willfully’ violated ethics.
Once that report was out another effort to remove Santos fired up and even the infamous fabulist himself conceded he won’t likely be able to hold onto his job.
A vote on a privileged resolution to expel him is expected Thursday.
GOP leadership is not whipping one way or the other, calling it a ‘vote of conscience,’ though Speaker Mike Johnson said he has ‘real reservations’ about removing Santos.
‘I personally have real reservations about doing this,’ he told reporters on Wednesday. ‘I’m concerned about a precedent that may be set for that.’
‘There are people who say you have to uphold the rule of law and allow for someone to be convicted in a criminal court before this, this tough penalty.’
Losing Santos would put Republicans at a three-vote majority.
Meanwhile McCarthy issued a veiled warning to Speaker Mike Johnson not to cut any deals with Gaetz to avoid a motion to vacate himself.
‘Much of this what this motion to vacate is based upon is Gaetz not wanting that [Ethics report] to come to fruition. I hope no one’s cut any deals to try to stop that. I just don’t think that’s good for government.’
