House Republicans are considering covertly kicking Matt Gaetz out after removing George Santos because "he is hated."

House Republicans are considering covertly kicking Matt Gaetz out after removing George Santos because "he is hated."

House Republicans are considering covertly kicking Matt Gaetz out after removing George Santos because "he is hated."© Win McNamee, Getty Images

Weeks after leading the removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the speakership, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., remains a target of his fellow Republicans in the House, and some of his opponents have even quietly suggested that he should be expelled from Congress. 

Following the expulsion of troubled former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., a number of Republican House members—many of whom are still enraged with Gaetz for his antics that prevented McCarthy and most of the conference from passing legislation—have started talking about the ongoing investigation into Gaetz by the House Ethics Committee.

Many opponents of Santos' removal made their concerns known in public prior to his expulsion, arguing that it would be unconstitutional to remove a member who had not been found guilty of a crime and that this would go against the modern-day precedent set by Congress.

Gaetz, who publicly supported Santos on the House floor, was one of those legislators.

Gaetz declared last week, "I rise not to defend George Santos, whoever he may be, but to defend the very precedent that my colleagues are willing to shatter."

A House Republican, speaking to USA TODAY under the condition of anonymity to discuss open conversations among colleagues, stated that GOP members were fully aware of the long-term repercussions of Santos' expulsion.

The member stated, "There were several people who voted to remove Santos with the express intent of considering the precedent there on what happens next." "The precedent and the potential outcomes of a report on Gaetz were carefully considered."

Gaetz was one of the few Republicans to vote earlier this year to remove McCarthy from the House leadership position. Following the Democrats' vote to remove McCarthy from office, weeks of internal strife within the shattered Republican conference ensued over the choice of a new leader. Even while they eventually came together behind current Louisiana Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., lawmakers had to spend weeks trying to come to a temporary compromise in order to prevent a government shutdown.

The Republican claimed that if a report from the House Ethics Committee surfaces that is just as bad for Gaetz as it was for the Long Island Republican, GOP legislators would be "excited" to remove Gaetz from office more than Santos.

Gaetz is being looked at by the House Ethics Committee for a number of charges, including misuse of campaign finances, illegal drug use, and sexual misconduct. After wrapping up its probe into Santos, the committee is reportedly shifting its attention to Gaetz, as shown by the fact that it has contacted at least one witness in the case, CNN said. In February, the Justice Department chose not to press charges against Gaetz after looking into claims that he was involved in sex trafficking.

The bipartisan House Ethics Committee, which is equally split between Republicans and Democrats, has come under fire for operating slowly and offering few possibilities for sanctions should it discover misconduct. 

However, members had newfound optimism that the committee might move quickly to address congressional misconduct after Santos was expelled in the wake of the committee's damning report that included considerable evidence that he had broken federal law.

The head of the committee, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., stated last week, "One of the complaints that you often hear is that things often go to the ethics committee and it takes an extended period of time." "That, in my opinion, is unfair to members of Congress and this body."

Guest stated, "It's crucial that the ethics committee completes its work and returns its reports on time so that members can face the appropriate consequences." 

Regarding the conference's stance on Gaetz, a second House Republican who talked to USA TODAY under anonymity claimed that members are holding off on publicly demanding Gaetz's resignation until after any ethics report on him is made public. 

"I promise that if there's anything nasty in there, people will be baring their teeth. The Republican in the House stated, "He is despised in our conference. "I think he's in trouble if he turns out to be guilty in this ethics thing."

The Republican recounted that when Gaetz tried to speak at a recent closed-door conference meeting, several of the other attendees yelled at him to "sit down and shut up," indicating the continued hostility that GOP senators had toward Gaetz.

However, other Republicans are worried that their colleagues would be using the ethics committee as a weapon against those they just disagree with politically.

Although he declined to comment on the investigation against Gaetz, House Ethics Committee member Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, who oversaw the Santos probe, told USA TODAY that "every case is independent of one another" and advised against connecting the two legislators' investigations.

A political weapon or sledgehammer against someone simply because you don't like them is not something that should be used with the committee, according to Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who has publicly criticized Gaetz for his political views.

Other Republicans are attempting to find a medium ground between calling for Gaetz's removal right away to avoid passing judgment too soon and keeping the option open to remove Gaetz in the event that the ethics committee releases conclusions that are very critical of him. 

When the committee's findings on Gaetz is issued, two other House Republicans said that legislators will carefully review it and decide what penalty they believe is appropriate. 

Upon being questioned by USA TODAY regarding his opinions over the call from members to remove him due to his removal of McCarthy, Gaetz, who has accepted the criticism from his peers, grinned and said, "Which members?"