George Santos was removed from Congress in a landmark decision by the House.
On Friday, the House voted to remove Republican Representative from office due to ongoing controversy.George Santos
The departure from Congress marked the conclusion of a chaotic term in Washington characterized by controversy since its inception.
In their third attempt
House lawmakers have been attempting to remove him since May.voted 311 to 114
105 Republicans voted in support of the expulsion resolution, while two Democrats voted against removing Santos from office. Two members abstained from voting, and eight members did not vote at all. The resolution needed a two-thirds majority to pass, and Santos was not present in the House chamber during the vote.
Speaker Mike Johnson declared from the podium of the House that the clerk will inform the governor of New York of the House’s decision. He also announced that due to the expulsion of Mr. Santos from New York, the total number of House members is now 434.
On social media, it was stated after the vote that she is ready to take on the serious duty of appointing a replacement for Santos, stating that “the residents of Long Island deserve no less.” According to state regulations, she has a maximum of 10 days to do so.
conduct a unique vote
The seat must be reserved within 70 to 80 days of the governor’s order.
By Friday afternoon, the locks on the doors to Santos’ congressional office had been changed and his House website removed. A sign outside of his former office now reads “Office of the Third Congressional District of New York.”
substantial reason to believe” that Santos had accepted favors from a city contractor
Several of Santos’ coworkers seem to have been convinced by a critical report from the House Ethics Committee, which was published two weeks ago. The report stated that there was significant evidence to suggest that Santos had received favors from a contractor working for the city.substantial evidence
Santos committed multiple violations of the law. He boldly distorted his background in order to secure his position in Congress last year and is currently facing nearly 20 federal charges for alleged deception and misuse of campaign finances.
Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
28th Cabinet nominee approved by the Senate
The Senate has approved Santos as the 28th Cabinet nominee in a bipartisan vote.
The sixth member of the House in the history of the United States.
The first expulsion in over two decades occurred when Rep. James Traficant was removed from his position in 2002 due to his conviction on 10 felony charges related to corruption.
Prior to Friday’s ballot, the House GOP leadership, consisting of Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, declared their disapproval of ousting Santos. Johnson
Earlier this week, it was mentioned.
He has concerns about the potential consequences of expelling Santos without a criminal conviction, but believes that members should vote based on their own beliefs.
The removal is now in effect, further reducing the slim majority of Republicans in the House.
Santos has said
He proudly displayed his expulsion as if it were a symbol of pride.
Last week, he stated that in today’s era, political convenience outweighs proper procedures. He also claimed that due process is no longer valued and has disappeared.
were not true
The accusations against Santos were false.
The unexpected win of Santos in the 2022 midterm elections led to Republicans gaining control of the House. However, his party soon faced embarrassment when it was discovered that he had falsified or exaggerated significant parts of his personal history.
In May, federal investigators brought charges against him for fraud, money laundering, and other offenses. The case grew in October as he faced additional charges for identity theft, unauthorized credit card charges, falsifying campaign finance reports, and more. He has entered a plea of not guilty for all charges.23 federal charges he now faces.
The Ethics Committee initiated their own inquiry during the spring season and on November 16th.released
A critical 56-page document was published, outlining a wide range of supposed wrongdoing. Investigators claim that Santos embezzled funds from his campaign, falsified loan reports, deceived contributors, and participated in fraudulent business transactions.
The report stated that the circumstances are unmatched in numerous ways.
The statement noted that although it is typical for Committee investigations to involve numerous accusations and a recurring pattern of wrongdoing, the extent of the infractions in this case is highly exceptional and incriminating.
The findings state that Santos transferred significant amounts of funds through his political campaign and various enterprises.
to cover the cost of his individual expenditures
The investigators claimed that he utilized the money to cover expenses for Botox treatments and splurge on luxury items from stores such as Hermès and Ferragamo. They also stated that he used campaign funds to pay for services on the adult website OnlyFans, as well as for meals, parking, travel, and rent. It is also alleged that he redirected the money to pay off his personal credit card debt.
According to the report, Santos continuously deceived his supporters, donors, and staff about his personal and professional history, and has continued to do so while serving in Congress.
Investigators reported that Santos frequently exaggerated details of his education, professional experience, family background, and even his mother’s passing. His own campaign team regarded him as a “storyteller” who had a habit of fabricating information, leading to recommendations for him to seek help.
Investigators claim that Santos consistently disregarded the warnings of his employees regarding concerns with the financial records of his campaign. The former treasurer, Nancy Marks, was also involved in the campaign.
I admitted guilt in October.
Santos has been accused of participating in a plan to enhance his campaign’s financial records. Despite blaming Marks for the violations, investigations revealed that Santos was aware of and involved in the reporting of personal loans and the handling of daily finances for the campaign.
had been planned and executed by the Colombian government, and was an attempt to remove a leader who had been elected by the people
The Colombian government had orchestrated and carried out a scheme to oust Santos, aiming to depose a democratically elected leader.
was elected
The third effort to remove Santos occurred only a few weeks after his election.
I was able to survive a second attempt. to oust him from Congress.
In May, Santos successfully defended against his initial removal attempt, initiated by Democrats following his initial charge. The Republicans prevented this action and instead directed the issue to the Ethics Committee.
Five Republican representatives from New York, who are all facing tough re-election battles next year, attempted to remove him from office in October after he was charged with additional crimes. They argued that it was a matter of moral importance that should be considered beyond immediate political concerns. However, the vote did not meet the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution to remove a member from office. This was due to the majority of Republicans and 31 Democrats choosing not to support his punishment while the Ethics Committee investigation and criminal trial were ongoing.
The publication of the Ethics Committee’s findings allowed legislators to officially support the removal of Santos. Michael Guest, a Republican representative from Mississippi and the Ethics Committee’s chair, was among those in favor of expulsion.introduced a resolution to oust him before lawmakers left Washington for Thanksgiving. Once the House returned, Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California,
I proposed a distinct resolution.
This is labeled as “privileged,” which would mandate a vote within two days in the House of Representatives.
Garcia informed the press on Tuesday that he believes Republicans may not follow through with a vote on Guest’s resolution, but he is pushing for a vote to take place this week.
The Republicans took action by having GOP Representative Anthony D’Esposito of New York introduce Guest’s resolution as a privilege. A vote has been planned for Friday.
“This behavior is considered bullying,” Santos commented. said Thursday of Guest’s measure.
On Thursday, Representative Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the leading Democratic member of the Ethics Committee, stated that Santos is not a victim.
She accused him of committing a large-scale deception against his community and the citizens of the United States.
Santos had consistently rejected demands for his resignation. He stated that stepping down prior to the vote would be an admission of guilt to the accusations outlined in the Ethics Committee’s report, and would also allow his colleagues to avoid taking responsibility.
Santos stated on Thursday that he often hears the phrase, “I urge Rep. Santos to step down and do the honorable thing by resigning,” but he believes this is an indication that people are hesitant to vote on the matter.
After the report was released, he announced that he will not be seeking reelection in 2024.
The start date for his criminal trial is scheduled for September 9th.
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Source: cbsnews.com