Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., sent a thank you letter to colleagues who voted to reject an effort to oust him from the House of Representatives.
Santos, who has been indicted, survived a Wednesday vote 179-213, with 19 members voting "present."
A total of 31 Democrats voted against expelling Santos.
"I am writing to express my gratitude to you for standing up for the principals of due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Santos wrote in his letter, The Messenger reported Friday.
"I want to sincerely emphasize that I know that your vote was not done for me, but for the sanctity of this institution and the possibility of setting a very dangerous precedent. For that, I thank you."
Punchbowl's Jake Sherman on X, formerly known as Twitter, called out Santos for failing to use the correct word "principles."
"Oooooo you got me there, Bud," Santos wrote in reply.
Santos faces 23 federal criminal charges, including laundering funds to pay for personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits, and charging donors' credit cards without consent. He has pleaded not guilty.
He also has admitted to lying about his past.
Although newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said Santos should get his day in court, New York Republicans are eager to distance themselves from him.
Rep. Marc Molinaro, a New York Republican who supported the expulsion effort, said the delegation would likely raise it again once the Ethics Committee releases the findings of its investigation.
Still, Santos told CNN on Friday that he plans to run for reelection next year even if he is expelled from the House — something that could happen as soon as this month if the House Ethics Committee recommends the chamber take such a dramatic step.
Santos said his constituents didn't vote for him based on his biography and added he would "absolutely" run in 2024.
"Nobody knew my biography. Nobody opened my biography who voted for me in the campaign," Santos told CNN.
His trial has been set for Sept. 9, 2024, and is expected to last three weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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