George Santos Expelled in Historic Bipartisan Vote

The House of Representatives voted 311-114 on Friday to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY), after an ethics report said he had lied to voters, stolen from his campaign, and broken federal law. 

The Details: 105 Republicans joined almost all Democrats to pass the resolution, which required a two-thirds vote. Two lawmakers recorded themselves as “present.”

For Context: Santos is the sixth lawmaker to be ousted from the House and the first to be expelled without being convicted of a crime since the Civil War. Santos still faces a 23-count federal indictment, including felony charges.

Precedent Concerns: Previous efforts to expel Santos, by Democrats and Santos’ fellow New York Republicans, failed to gain sufficient support. House Speaker Mike Johnson said prior to Friday’s vote that he had “real reservations,” but he trusted lawmakers to “make that decision thoughtfully and in good faith.”

How the Media Covered It: Santos has captured media attention since he admitted to lying about his background, and his expulsion vote was no different. Live coverage of the vote was common in both left and right-rated media outlets, often framing it as “historic.”