The US House of Representatives has fallen short of the required votes to expel Republican lawmaker George Santos. A push led by fellow New York Republican lawmakers to oust Santos from the House, citing his indictment on federal fraud charges and asserting he was “unfit to serve,” failed to garner the necessary supermajority or two-thirds support.
Expelling a member from the House is an exceedingly rare occurrence, with only five instances in the history of America, three of which were during the Civil War for rebellion against the US government.
Ultimately, Santos remained safe from expulsion, as the vote yielded 179 in favor and 213 against. Of those supporting expulsion, 155 were Democrats and 24 were Republicans, while those voting against included 31 Democrats and 182 Republicans, according to NBC News. This outcome ensures that the Republican Party maintains its slender 221-212 House majority.
Efforts to remove Santos from the House were complicated by the House Speaker’s removal, leaving the House without a leader for several weeks. When Mike Johnson succeeded Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, he did not support Santos’s expulsion.
The drive to expel Santos was prompted by federal charges against the 35-year-old legislator, involving allegations of unlawfully obtaining unemployment benefits and unauthorized charges on donors’ credit cards. Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 federal crime charges in May, which included wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and false statements to the House.
Last week, Santos pleaded not guilty to ten additional felony counts added by federal prosecutors in October. A former campaign treasurer for Santos pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges the previous month.
Santos’s trial is scheduled for September 9, 2024, just ahead of national elections determining control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
Before the House vote on November 1, Santos cautioned his colleagues that voting for expulsion would undermine the judicial system’s due process rights and the fundamental principle that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Additionally, the House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations against Santos and is expected to announce its findings and next steps by November 17. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito acknowledged the likelihood of an unfavorable ethics report, saying, “we will read the ethics report in two weeks, and it’s probably not going to be favorable, and we’ll proceed from there.”
