Infamous Georges Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Dec 2023 19:54

Santos' expulsion marked a rare instance in the House's 234-year history, with him becoming only the third individual to be expelled since the Civil War.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., faces reporters at the Capitol in Washington, early Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 (AP)

On Friday, US lawmakers voted to expel George Santos, a New York Republican mired in scandal and facing a litany of federal charges.

Santos, who played a role in helping the Republicans secure a narrow majority in 2022, quickly became embroiled in controversy as it surfaced that nearly his entire personal and professional history was a fabrication.

The 35-year-old politician faces federal charges, including theft, credit card fraud, money laundering, and identity theft.

The tipping point, however, came with a congressional ethics investigation that presented "overwhelming evidence" of misconduct.

The probe accused Santos of attempting to "fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy."

BREAKING: House votes to expel GOP Rep. George Santos. He has left the Capitol for the last time. pic.twitter.com/kHBmIsTAPV
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) December 1, 2023

Santos labeled 'crook', 'liar'

During a House debate on Thursday preceding the expulsion vote, several members of Santos's own party publicly denounced him.

Ohio's Max Miller labeled him a "crook," while fellow New York Republican Marc Molinaro accused him of manufacturing his entire life, and Anthony D'Esposito called him a "liar."

Santos, who vehemently denied the criminal charges, allegedly misused campaign funds for personal indulgences, including Botox treatments, subscriptions to the OnlyFans porn website, luxury Italian goods, and vacations to the Hamptons and Las Vegas, according to the ethics committee.

While previous attempts to expel Santos fell short, the ethics report swayed many of his defenders.

The expulsion required a two-thirds majority in the House, and the overwhelming vote, supported by more than 100 fellow Republicans, ultimately led to Santos's removal from Congress.

This marked a rare instance in the House's 234-year history, with Santos becoming only the third individual to be expelled since the Civil War.