Washington DC - House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he has "real reservations" about Republicans supporting an upcoming vote to expel Rep. George Santos as he faces 23 criminal charges.

According to CNN, Johnson expressed hesitance on Wednesday when he was asked about the pending vote, arguing that hastily expelling Santos before he is given due process could set a dangerous precedent moving forward.

"We've not whipped the vote, and we wouldn't," Johnson explained. "I trust that people will make that decision thoughtfully and in good faith."

"I personally have real reservations about doing this; I'm concerned about a precedent that may be set for that."

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Johnson's comments come after Rep. Robert Garcia introduced a privileged resolution to expel Santos on Tuesday, forcing the House to address it within the week.

This will be the third time Santos will face an expulsion vote.

The representatives that opposed the previous resolutions made a similar argument to Johnson's, but after a report released by the House Ethics Committee "unanimously concluded" that Santos knowingly filed false campaign financial reports and engaged in fraudulent conduct, many now say they will support the latest one.

Some representatives have vowed to continue to oppose the resolution, including Rep. Troy Nehls and Rep. Ralph Norman, who said, "Let [Santos'] voters deal with it."

The House is expected to vote on the resolution on Friday, which will need a two-thirds vote to pass.