Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., departs the U.S. Capitol following being voted out of Congress in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1, 2023.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The House voted Friday to expel Rep. George Santos from Congress for his alleged finance crimes and his marketing campaign lies, shrinking the GOP’s already slim majority.
Lawmakers voted 311-114 to oust the New York Republican. The measure required the assist of two-thirds of the chamber to cross. Two members voted current.
Santos is the sixth House member in U.S. historical past to be booted from Congress, and the third because the Civil War.
The elimination of Santos lowers the variety of House Republicans to 221, with 213 Democrats. This makes it much more troublesome for the majority to cross laws with out Democratic assist.
Democrats see his seat as a major pickup alternative. New York law provides Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul 10 days to announce a particular election to fill his seat, with a vote coming someday in late February.
“I’m ready to undertake the solemn accountability of filling the emptiness in New York’s third District,” Hochul wrote on X, previously often known as Twitter, shortly after the expulsion vote. “The individuals of Long Island deserve nothing much less.”
Former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi, who left the seat in New York’s third congressional district to run for governor, has already launched a campaign to take it again.
House Republican leaders, together with Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Whip Steve Scalise, have been cautious of ousting certainly one of their colleagues and had opposed the expulsion decision.
The decision, introduced by Santos’ fellow New York Republicans, was the most recent effort in addition the embattled 35-year-old freshman lawmaker. So far, not one of the motions handed.
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is surrounded by journalists as he leaves the U.S. Capitol after his fellow members of Congress voted to expel him from the House of Representatives on Dec. 1, 2023.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images
But the calculus for Republicans modified following the discharge of a scathing House Ethics report in mid-November about Santos.
The GOP-led panel concluded that Santos “blatantly stole from his marketing campaign” and spent the donors’ cash buying at locations resembling Ferragamo and Hermès, getting Botox and visiting the grownup web site OnlyFans.com.
Scandals have outlined the New York Republican’s transient time in workplace. Shortly after profitable the seat in 2022, Santos admitted to mendacity about his skilled and academic background, however he denied committing any crimes.
Santos has since been charged with practically two dozen counts of crimes together with id theft, submitting false marketing campaign finance reviews and stealing unemployment cash.
He has pleaded not responsible to the felony prices.
This is breaking information. Please examine again for updates.
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