House
published : 2023-12-01
Expelled: Controversial Republican George Santos ousted from Congress
Four House Democrats vote against expelling Santos
In a historic vote on Friday, New York Republican Rep. George Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives.
This decision came as 311 House lawmakers voted to remove him from office, while 114 voted against it.
Among the Republicans, 105 supported his expulsion, while 112 voted to keep him in office.
Meanwhile, 206 Democrats chose to remove Santos, but two broke ranks and voted to retain him as their representative.
Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott and Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams were the two Democrats who bucked their party.
Williams emphasized that Santos is unworthy of serving in the House and believed he would be convicted of the crimes he was accused of.
She argued that the people of New York's Third Congressional District should have the power to decide their representative.
Furthermore, two other Democrats, Texas Rep. Al Green and Illinois Rep. Jonathan Jackson, voted 'present' instead of taking a stance on Santos' expulsion.
Jackson explained that since the ethical events transpired during Santos' campaign, it should not be the responsibility of Congress to remove him unless misconduct took place in office.
Expelling a member of Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote, and this action has not been taken in over two decades.
The last expulsion occurred in 2002 when former Ohio Democrat Rep. Jim Traficant was removed from Congress after being convicted of multiple felony counts, including racketeering and bribery.
Although Santos has not yet been convicted, he is facing 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, and credit card fraud.
He is also accused of using campaign funds for luxury goods and treatments such as Botox, but has pleaded not guilty.
Santos anticipated his expulsion during an interview on 'Fox & Friends' in the morning of the vote.
This historic decision has sparked intrigue and debate, raising questions about the power of voters, political party loyalty, and ethical conduct in public office.
