George Santos is no longer in the U.S. House.
The former Republican representative for Queens and Long Island was formally expelled from Congress on Friday by a vote of 311 to 114, just two weeks after a damning report from a House ethics subcommittee found “substantial evidence” of misconduct and illegal activity.
He is now the first member in more than 20 years — and only the sixth member in the country’s history — to be booted from the body. The resolution to expel Santos listed the criminal charges against him in connection with schemes to defraud campaign donors and using campaign funds for personal expenses along with violations of House ethics rules.
While Santos’ removal further squeezes the narrow majority held by House Republicans, his ouster also offers some cover for vulnerable New York Republicans seeking to distance themselves from Santos’ ever-evolving scandals ahead of next year’s competitive congressional elections when their seats and control of the House are again at stake.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, will now be able to call a special election to fill the seat. County party leaders will select the candidates to run in a race that will be watched as a national bellwether of each party’s strength, early in a crucial presidential election year.
The former representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gothamist.
Expulsion drama
The highly anticipated expulsion vote marked the third effort by House members to remove Santos, whose 11-month career as an elected official was marred by the unraveling of the political narrative he crafted to reach Capitol Hill.
The freshman Republican, who represented a sliver of Queens and parts of Long Island, has already admitted to fabricating large swaths of his biography, including attending Baruch College and playing on its volleyball team, working at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and owning dozens of properties. Other media reports have debunked his claims that his…
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