Explained | How George Santos lied his way to Congress and got booted out

The US House of Representatives on Friday (Dec 1) voted to expel the embattled Republican Rep. George Santos in their third attempt to show him the exit door since May.

The proposal to oust him was passed with a 311-114 majority, with at least 105 Republicans voting against him and two Democrats voting in favour. The resolution required a two-thirds majority to pass.

Who will replace George Santos now?

After George Santos’s exit from the House, the biggest question lingering around is: Who will replace him in New York’s third congressional district?

New York legally requires holding a special election within 90 days. Now, local party leaders from both Democratic and Republican parties will field their candidates to replace Santos in a finely balanced House, where Republicans’ lead over Democrats has now narrowed down to just eight seats.

Allegations against George Santos

Friday’s expulsion brought an end to the tumultuous tenure of Santos, which was inundated with scandals and allegations from the word go.

His victory in the 2022 elections came as a big surprise for the Democrats but it quickly turned into an embarrassment for the Republicans as he was found to have exaggerated and embellished his profile to better suit his election campaign.

In May this year, he was also charged with fraud and money laundering. In October, Santos was hit with additional charges for allegedly stealing his campaign donors' identities and racking up thousands of dollars in unauthorised charges on their credit cards, falsifying campaign finance reports, money laundering and more.

In total, he has been booked under 23 federal charges, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them.

The unprecedented charges against a sitting Congressman triggered an Ethics Committee investigation this spring. On Nov 16, the committee released its detailed 56-page report, which came as the last nail in the coffin for Santos.

The investigation found that Santos had stolen money from his campaign, deceived donors and engaged in fraudulent business dealings.

"While it is not uncommon for Committee investigations to involve multiple allegations and a pattern of misconduct, the sheer scope of the violations at issue here is highly unusual and damning," the report said.

‘Spent donors’ money on porn sites’

The Ethics Committee also found out that he used his campaign money on adult influencer sites such as OnlyFans, and for meals, parking, travel and rent. 

Santos "sustained all of this through a constant series of lies to his constituents, donors, and staff about his background and experience," the report said, adding that "his misrepresentations and lack of transparency have continued during his tenure in Congress."

According to investigators, Santos also ignored warnings regarding inconsistencies in his campaign’s bookkeeping.

His campaign's ex-treasurer, Nancy Marks, pleaded guilty in October to a scheme to embellish his campaign finance reports.

Controversial past

Earlier in January this year, a major controversy broke out after it was claimed that Santos had competed as a drag queen in Brazilian beauty pageants 15 years ago.

A 58-year-old Brazilian performer, who uses the drag name Eula Rochard, was quoted as saying by Reuters that she befriended the now-ousted congressman when he was cross-dressing in 2005 at the first gay pride parade in Niteroi, a Rio de Janeiro suburb.

Santos reacted to these reports by saying that the claims were “categorically false," adding: "I will not be distracted nor fazed by this."

Santos continues to defend himself

Santos says that he will not seek re-election but maintains his innocence. He also accused his fellow lawmakers of rushing to expel him even as he was not convicted in any of the alleged crimes.

Watch: Indicted Republican lawmaker George Santos expelled from US House

"It is a predetermined necessity for some members in this body to engage in this smear campaign to destroy me. I will not stand by quietly," he said on the House floor on Thursday. "They want me out of this body. The people of the 3rd District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, they have to go silence those people."

Earlier attempts to oust him

The Friday expulsion was a result of the third attempt by House lawmakers to kick out George Santos. However, it was the first attempt after the Ethics Committee report came out two weeks ago.

In May, Santos withstood his first expulsion attempt, when Democrats sought to remove him from Congress after he was first charged. Republicans blocked that effort and instead referred the matter to the Ethics Committee.

Also read: WION In a historic vote, US lawmakers expel scandal-plagued Congressman George Santos

The efforts to oust him were revived in October after he was hit with fresh charges. 

But the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed under the Constitution to oust a member, since most Republicans and 31 Democrats withheld support for punishing him as the Ethics Committee investigation was still underway.

As Santos now stands expelled from the House, his criminal trial is set to begin Sep 9.

(With inputs from agencies)