In historic move, House votes to expel Rep. George Santos

The Home has voted to expel Republican Rep. George Santos on Friday, a historic transfer that hasn’t occurred in additional than 20 years.

It was the third try and expel the scandal-ridden congressman. He’s simply the sixth Home member in historical past to be forcibly eliminated by his colleagues. Home Republican leaders, although, rallied round Santos early Friday stating they’d vote towards the decision.

The expulsion vote got here two weeks after a scathing Home Ethics Committee report detailed what investigators mentioned was Santos’ use of marketing campaign funds for his personal private profit. Santos has repeatedly criticized the report as political smear, although he is but to refute particular allegations.

Momentum initially grew to oust Santos after the report’s publication, however then a number of Home Republican leaders publicly mentioned simply earlier than the vote they had been against the decision.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson instructed reporters Friday he would vote towards expelling Santos.

Johnson has inspired members to “vote their conscience” on the decision, however expressed “actual reservations” about expelling a member not but convicted of a criminal offense. Santos has been charged with 23 legal counts, to which he is pleaded not responsible. A trial is ready for 2024.

“No Member of Congress has ever been expelled with out a conviction; it is a harmful precedent and I’m voting no primarily based upon my issues concerning due course of. I’ve mentioned from the start that this course of will play out within the judicial system which it at present is,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 Home Republican, wrote in a put up to X.

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the Home Judiciary Committee, mentioned voters in Santos’ district ought to in the end resolve if he ought to stay in Congress.

“I am towards expelling Mr. Santos,” Jordan mentioned on Newsmax.

Santos was requested Friday by ABC Information Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott if he anticipated to be expelled.

“I do not know,” he responded. “I believe I’ve mentioned this typically already, I do not know.”

Rep. Darrell Issa instructed ABC Information it’s a coin toss whether or not Santos survives.

“If I had been going to handicap it, I’d give him barely higher than 50-50,” Issa predicted.

Throughout an hour of spirited debate on the Home flooring Thursday, Santos continued to argue he was denied due course of.

“Each member expelled in historical past of this establishment has been convicted of crimes or Accomplice turncoats responsible of treason. Neither of these apply to me, however right here we’re,” Santos mentioned. “On what foundation does this physique really feel that precedent have to be modified for me? An American citizen, duly elected — elected to symbolize the third district of New York.”

As they exited a convention assembly Friday morning, some Republicans echoed Santos’s protection that he has not been convicted and that the 2 most up-to-date members to be expelled had been first convicted.

“It doesn’t suggest I am claiming that he is harmless or responsible, however that is the best way it is at all times been achieved for the establishment’s sake,” Rep. Mike Bost, R-Unwell., mentioned.

Republican Rep. Michael Visitor, the chairman of the Home Ethics Committee who additionally beforehand launched a separate movement to expel Santos, made notably uncommon remarks to defend the report forward of Friday’s vote.

“George Santos has constructed his persona, his private and political life, on a basis of lies,” Visitor mentioned.

ABC Information’ Arthur Jones, Benjamin Siegel and Rachel Scott contributed to this report.