Representative George Santos (Republican from New York) was expelled from Congress on Friday after more than 300 of his colleagues voted in favor of his expulsion, following a harsh ethics report that confirmed he “sought to profit in a deceitful manner from every aspect of his campaign for personal financial gain,” making Santos only the sixth person in history to be expelled from Congress.
Key Facts
Santos was expelled by a vote of 311-114, with 105 Republicans and 206 Democrats voting for expulsion, a number that far exceeds the two-thirds majority required.
The vote came after weeks of failing a previous expulsion vote, but since then, the House Ethics Committee published a detailed report accusing Santos of misconduct, prompting more members of his own party to turn against him.
Santos left the Capitol before the voting was completed and told reporters he “would no longer answer any questions,” as he was no longer a member of Congress.
A slight majority of House Republican members (112-105) voted against expulsion, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican from Louisiana) and other Republican leaders in the House, although Johnson had asked members to vote according to their consciences.
Only two Democrats – apparently Representatives Bobby Scott (Democrat from Virginia) and Nikema Williams (Democrat from Georgia) – voted against Santos’s expulsion, a dramatic shift from last month’s failed vote, when over twenty Democratic representatives voted to keep Santos in office and some argued that this misconduct could set a bad precedent for expulsion without a criminal conviction.
Important Quote
“I have accepted my fate,” Santos said on Friday on “Fox & Friends” before his expulsion. “I believe that if it is God’s will for me to stay here, I will stay, and if it is His will for me to leave, I will leave and I will do so graciously.”
Surprising Facts
Santos is the sixth member of Congress to be expelled from the House of Representatives, and the first since 2002. He is the first member of Congress to be expelled from the House without having first been convicted of a federal crime. The last member of the House facing expulsion was James Traficant (Democrat from Ohio), who was convicted of bribery, obstruction of justice, racketeering, and tax evasion.
What to Watch For
Santos’s departure from Congress will make the Republicans’ narrow majority even tighter if Democrats regain the seat in a special election. Currently, Republicans hold a 222-213 majority, and Santos represents a district that was previously controlled by Democrats.
Important Background
As more information emerged about the alleged fraud committed by Santos, the calls for his expulsion grew. Santos was charged in federal court in May with money laundering and fraud after prosecutors accused the New York Republican of directing donors to an LLC based in Florida and told them it would redirect funds to support his campaign, but instead, Santos allegedly spent that money on personal expenses including luxury clothing. Santos has declared himself not guilty. At that time, Garcia proposed Santos’s expulsion, but it was unsuccessful. In October, Santos pled not guilty to 10 criminal charges for improperly using donor credit cards and identity theft. Last month, a bipartisan House Ethics Committee report disclosed allegations of unprofessional behavior. This report led to more statements from congressional members that they would support the expulsion vote.
Reading
Additional
George Santos calls for the expulsion of the representative who pulled the fire alarm at a press conference challenge – as he faces the possibility of expulsion (Forbes)
George Santos will not run for election again after an ethics report confirmed federal crimes (Forbes)
George Santos will not run for election again after an ethics report confirmed federal crimes (Forbes)
The House may expel George Santos today – here are all the other representatives who have been expelled from Congress (Forbes)
George Santos “clearly stole from his campaign” and may face additional charges, reveals the report from the House Ethics Committee (Forbes)
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/12/01/george-santos-expelled-from-house/
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