Washington, Dec 1 (Reuters/GNA) – Indicted Republican George Santos’ brief career in the U.S. House of Representatives came to an end on Friday, when fellow lawmakers voted to expel him over criminal corruption charges and accusations of misspending campaign money.
The House voted 311-114 to immediately remove the controversial freshman lawmaker, above the two-thirds majority required to oust one of its own.
Shortly before the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would vote against the expulsion, an aide said.
Santos, 35, has been mired in controversy since his November 2022 election. He has admitted fabricating much of his biography, and federal prosecutors accuse him of laundering campaign funds and defrauding donors. Santos has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
He survived a previous expulsion attempt in early November, when 182 of his fellow Republicans and 31 Democrats voted against his removal on the grounds that his criminal case should be resolved first. His expulsion reduces Republicans’ already slim majority to a 221-213 majority. His district, which includes parts of New York City and Long Island, is seen as competitive.
A bipartisan congressional investigation last month found that he charged almost $4,000 for spa treatments, including Botox, to his congressional campaign account. He also spent more than $4,000 of campaign money at the luxury retail store Hermes and made “smaller purchases” from OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content.
That prompted several Republicans who backed him in November’s vote to say they would support kicking him out. Santos has said he likely would be expelled.
He spurned calls to resign but had said he would not run for reelection next year.
Santos is only the sixth member to be expelled from the House, and the first who has not been convicted of a crime or fought for the Confederacy during the 1861-65 U.S. Civil War. Democrat James Traficant was the last member to be expelled in 2002, following his criminal corruption conviction.
GNA/Credit: Reuters