Politics
Lying George Soros avoids House expulsion following vote
By CM Chaney · November 2, 2023
In brief…
- House voted down resolution to expel Rep. George Santos by 179-213 vote
- Santos was indicted on 23 federal counts of embezzlement and fraud
- Santos lied extensively about his background and qualifications
- House Ethics Committee investigating Santos, who refuses to resign
The House of Representatives voted down a resolution on Wednesday to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from Congress, despite his multiple lies about his background and his recent 23-count federal indictment on charges of embezzlement and fraud.
The resolution failed by a vote of 179-213, with 24 Republicans joining 155 Democrats in voting to expel Santos. Four GOP lawmakers and 15 Democrats voted present, while 22 members were absent.
The resolution was brought by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) and four other New York Republicans, who cited Santos’ fabrications about his education, family history, and professional background as grounds for expulsion. Santos has admitted to lying about having Jewish ancestry, a college degree, and work experience at top firms.
“All you have to do is look at the lies and deceptions in the resolution and details of the indictments - multiple indictments - to see that Mr. Santos is a stain on this institution and not fit to serve in the House of Representatives,” D’Esposito said.
Santos argued against his expulsion, calling it “politically motivated” and warning it would deprive him of due process while charges are pending. Two-thirds of the House would have had to vote to expel him.
The vote comes after the House Ethics Committee released an interim report on its ongoing investigation of Santos. The committee has said it will announce its next steps by November 17.
Santos has refused bipartisan calls to resign, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). McCarthy said Santos should get “due process” but expressed skepticism of the expulsion effort.
The House has expelled only five members in its history. The last was Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) in 2002 after his conviction for bribery and tax evasion.