BREAKING: House Votes to Expel Rep. George Santos from House of Representatives
George Santos (R-NY), the freewheeling liar who snuck his way into Congress on a fabricated resumé, has been expelled from the body in a vote on Friday, becoming the first U.S. representative to lose their status since 2002.
Shortly before 11 a.m., veteran Capitol Hill reporter Jake Sherman said that voting neared its closing with already more than enough votes to ensure Santos is expelled.
The vote is not closed, but the House already has enough votes to expel New York Rep. George Santos.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 1, 2023
By the completion of the vote at 11:02 a.m. EST, Sherman added that a majority of the House’s 217 Republicans voted to keep Santos in office.
The majority of house republicans voted to keep Santos in office. https://t.co/ob1DVv6SqR
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 1, 2023
While certainly historic, the vote did not come as a surprise to observers — or even Santos himself, who took to X in recent days to complain about unfair treatment in light of rule-breaking he claimed to have seen among other members, including casting votes on the House floor while drunk.
In November, a previous resolution by New York Republicans to expel Santos failed to garner enough support, with some in the GOP worried that expulsion without conviction could set a dangerous precedent for dealing with alleged wrongdoing. However, a turning point came last week when the House Ethics Committee concluded that Santos had committed serious violations, including using campaign donations on Botox and other personal needs. The report came months after Santos was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering, all of which he has denied. Yet, in September, he began entering into plea negotiations with federal prosecutors.
The combative freshman has tangled with the likes of U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) while aligning himself with more conservative elements in the House GOP caucus, a strategy meant to ensure that he maintained sympathy and remained a necessary vote within its five-vote majority. However, the distraction ultimately proved to be too much as Santos refused to remain quiet, ranting for reporters about his thoughts on Hamas sympathizers, and trading insults on the floor of the House with Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), whom he called a “wife beater.”
Ever defiant, Santos sported a black overcoat, making his way across the floor while shaking hands and exiting the chamber before voting concluded.
Santos is standing in the middle of the chamber, wearing a black overcoat over his shoulders.
He is shaking peoples hands and walking out of the chamber
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 1, 2023
