Since 1861, only six House members have faced expulsion: three Confederate rebels, two convicted criminals, and a man whose legal proceedings were pending. Despite being designed as a self-regulating mechanism for the House, expulsion remains a seldom-used and contentious action.
However, the House of Representatives made a decisive move on December 1, voting to expel Republican Representative George Santos. Santos, who arrived in Washington after an unexpected win in the 2022 midterm elections, became the sixth House member in history to be removed by his colleagues.
Following his election, Santos found himself entangled in federal indictments and a rigorous congressional ethics investigation. The Justice Department’s detailed charges against Santos ranged from wire fraud and money laundering to making false statements to Congress.
Allegations focused on three major schemes. Prosecutors accused him of defrauding campaign donors by redirecting their contributions to personal expenses, including luxury items, and making false unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he faced accusations of misleading Congress about his financial standing.
Despite surviving previous attempts for removal and advocating for due process, Santos witnessed dwindling support among Republican colleagues, eventually leading to his expulsion from Congress.
The 56-page report released by the Ethics Committee echoed the severity of the allegations. It laid bare substantial evidence of misappropriation of campaign funds, falsified financial claims, and a consistent pattern of deception. Santos’ extravagant personal expenses—lavish retail purchases, cosmetic procedures, and luxurious getaways—were reportedly funded through campaign funds, a betrayal of constituents’ trust and ethical obligations. Maintaining his innocence, Santos had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Republican Rep. Michael Guest, the chairman of the House Ethics Committee who also previously introduced a separate motion to expel Santos, made notably rare remarks to defend the report: “George Santos has built his persona, his personal and political life, on a foundation of lies,” Guest said. Speaker Mike Johnson, who just before the vote announced his opposition, presided over the tally. Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik all said they would be voting against the resolution just moments before it reached the floor, though Johnson said he encouraged members to vote their conscience.
“No Member of Congress has ever been expelled without a conviction; this is a dangerous precedent and I am voting no based upon my concerns regarding due process. I have said from the beginning that this process will play out in the judicial system which it currently is,” Stefanik wrote in a post to X.
Santos had also previously argued he was denied due process. “Every member expelled in history of this institution has been convicted of crimes or Confederate turncoats guilty of treason. Neither of those apply to me, but here we are,” Santos said during a spirited debate on the House floor on Thursday. “On what basis does this body feel that precedent must be changed for me? An American citizen, duly elected — elected to represent the 3rd district of New York.”
Regardless, the final vote tally of 311-114 showcased a significant bipartisan agreement to remove Santos, with 112 Republicans joining their Democratic counterparts, well exceeding the necessary two-thirds majority.
House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a statement, celebrated that “Santos has finally been held accountable by a strong bipartisan majority for his egregiously unprecedented, unethical and unlawful behavior.”
“It is unfortunate that George Santos was coddled for so long by the House Republican Conference,” Jeffries wrote. “Today represents an important step forward in ensuring that the House of Representatives has a basic standard of professionalism as we endeavor to solve problems on behalf of hardworking American taxpayers. We must continue to strive for the restoration of regular order.”
The rare act of expulsion positions Santos for immediate removal from Congress, leaving his district without representation until a successor is elected. House supervision will oversee his staff’s continued service to constituents until a replacement is chosen through a special election, mandated by New York law. “I am prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District,” Governor Hochul wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the expulsion vote. “The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”
