US House Votes to Expel George Santos From Congress

Facts

• For just the sixth time in the legislative chamber's history, the US House of Representatives on Friday voted to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from Congress by a vote of 311-114-2, including 105 Republicans voting in favor. The vote followed a House Ethics Committee Report claiming he 'blatantly stole from his campaign' and 'deceived donors into providing what they thought were contributions to his campaign but were...payments for his personal benefit.'¹
• Santos has also been indicted on 23 accounts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, and credit card fraud, among others, including accusations that he used campaign funds to buy luxury goods and treatments like Botox. The last congressman to be ousted was Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) in 2002, though Traficant had already been convicted of 10 felony accounts before his expulsion.²
• Santos left the Capitol building shortly after the vote and without saying much to reporters., however, at a press conference yesterday he did say 'this doesn't mean it is goodbye forever.' The departure of the freshman congressman from Long Island, N.Y., has now shrunk the GOP's already-slim majority in the House.³
• The saga began shortly after Santos was elected in 2022 with a New York Times report alleging he lied about his work history, educational achievements, and family background, followed by indictments by federal prosecutors in New York. However, the now-ex-congressman asked on the House Floor, 'Are we to now assume that one is no longer innocent until proven guilty and they are, in fact, guilty until proven innocent?'⁴
• Although more than 100 Republicans voted to expel Santos, a majority did not, including three New York Republicans — Claudia Tenney, Elise Stefanik, and Santos himself — as well as the entire House GOP leadership. Now that he's gone, however, New York will have 90 days to hold a special election; in the meantime, Gov. Kathy Hochul will choose a temporary replacement.⁵

Sources: ¹The Hill, ²FOX News, ³NPR Online News, ⁴The Wall Street Journal and ⁵The Guardian.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The New York Times. No one represents, nor is enthralled by, Donald Trump more than George Santos. Santos entered politics not to help the country and serve his constituents, but rather to follow in his MAGA leader's footsteps by using his office to obtain fame and fortune. Though fellow radical Marjorie Taylor Greene voted to keep him, thankfully, he was unable to amass the same support as his MAGA idol.
• Republican narrative, as provided by The Wall Street Journal. While the House GOP could certainly have waited until Santos was convicted in a court of law before expelling the congressman, the Republican from New York was already headed toward a quick and severely stained end to his political career. He was an embarrassment to both his party and the institution and is likely to face even more consequences as his legal troubles continue. The GOP now focuses on replacing Santos with a reputable replacement.

Predictions