George Santos Expelled from Congress in Historic Vote, Narrowing GOP Majority
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George Santos was expelled from Congress by a vote of 311-114, with 2 voting present. He is the first member expelled since 2002 and first in over 150 years not preceded by a criminal conviction.
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The vote came after months of lies and scandals surrounding Santos were revealed, including indictments on federal fraud charges and a damning House Ethics Committee report finding "substantial evidence" he broke the law.
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Santos' expulsion leaves Republicans with an even narrower 222-213 House majority, complicating their legislative agenda. A competitive special election will be held to fill his seat.
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Two Republican House Speakers, Kevin McCarthy and Mike Johnson, had protected Santos for months to retain his vote despite the controversies, but shifted amid growing pressure.
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Santos joins just 5 other House members ever expelled, mostly for disloyalty related to the Confederacy. The rarity of the move speaks to how egregious his deceptions and alleged crimes were seen.