What is the next step after George Santos’ expulsion from Congress?
George Santos was ejected from Congress on Friday in a historic decision.
multiple expulsion votes in the past
The House overwhelmingly voted 311 to 114 in favor of expelling him, exceeding the necessary two-thirds majority according to the Constitution. Santos had previously survived numerous votes for expulsion.
There have been two prior attempts to remove him through voting. again in August
The initial two attempts occurred following his indictment by the Justice Department in May and then repeated in August. 2014
In October 2014, a new indictment was brought against them, replacing the previous one..
4-page summary of the Mueller report
The vote on Friday took place following the publication of a 4-page summary of the Mueller report.
The House Ethics Committee released a damaging report..
Governor Kathy Hochul must determine the date for a special election within a period of 10 days. The election will take place around six weeks after the date is set.
After the vote, the governor announced on social media that he is ready to take on the serious duty of filling the open position in New York’s 3rd District. He emphasized that the residents of Long Island deserve the highest level of commitment.
“I am pleased that he is no longer in office, as his lack of ethical behavior and failure to serve the people of our state, especially those in New York 3 where he lives, have greatly hindered his performance. George Santos was simply occupying a position without fulfilling his responsibilities,” Hochul stated.
Both parties would select a nominee to compete against each other in a closely fought election that is anticipated to have significant impact on a national level.
The special election must take place within a span of 70 days. There will be no preliminary round – the Democratic and Republican parties will each select a nominee.
This indicates that the 3rd Congressional District position will stay unoccupied for a minimum of two months.
Who is a potential candidate to replace Santos as leader?
According to CBS New York reporter Marcia Kramer, Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives, believes that former congressman Tom Suozzi is a notable figure.
“On the Republican side, things are a bit more intricate. However, I have been informed that Joe Cairo, the Republican Chairman of Nassau County, has given a signal to Long Island Republicans to support the removal of Santos. This is due to his belief that the newly redrawn district presents a favorable opportunity for Republicans to maintain control of the seat,” stated Kramer.
A possible candidate from the Republican party is St. Sen. Jack Martins, who Kramer described as popular and well-regarded.
According to Kramer, he has been reserved, but there is a possibility that he may be pressured to participate in a special election. In a general election, there would likely be many other candidates.
How significant is this particular election?
“The House currently has a very narrow margin between Republican and Democratic representation. In New York, the state court of appeals has issued an order for redistricting. The Republican party is concerned about maintaining their six seats and saw removing him from their ranks as a way to prevent any potential consequences during their reelection campaigns,” stated Kramer.
Former Congressman Steve Israel stated that he does not anticipate the redistricting process to be completed before the special election, but it should be finished before the general election.
According to Israel, the situation in New York 3 is twofold: there is currently no representative or potential candidates for this district, and the district’s future is uncertain.
Santos came under scrutiny following his victory in the 2022 midterm elections, as media sources uncovered
a sequence of false statements he made regarding his personal history.
In May, the Justice Department announced 13 federal charges
He was facing accusations of wire fraud, money laundering, embezzlement of public funds, and lying to Congress.
The May indictment accused Santos of persuading campaign donors to donate to a company and using the funds for his own expenses. He is accused of using the money for luxury clothing, credit card payments, and car expenses. Additionally, Santos allegedly applied for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, despite earning $120,000 from an investment company. Prosecutors also claimed that Santos provided false information on disclosure statements for his congressional campaign.
In October, additional charges were brought against Santos, including wire fraud, providing false information to the FEC, altering records, and stealing someone’s identity, among other accusations.
Santos has pleaded not guilty
All of the accusations will be addressed by him. He is anticipated to go to court in September.
Even though Santos managed to avoid being removed from office in previous votes following the announcement of the accusations, the vote that took place on Friday was influenced by the recent report from the House Ethics Committee. The report stated that there was significant proof of Santos using funds from his campaign for his own personal expenses.
Source: cbsnews.com