A Historic Exit -- George Santos' Congressional Expulsion

By: Tori Manuel

             George Santos addressing the press upon his exit from the Capitol Building via Los Angeles Times

“To hell with this place!” were George Santos’ parting words to reporters and the United States Congress on December 1st, according to the New York Times. The former New York Republican Congressman is facing an alarming count of 23 federal charges, many of which accumulated during his 2022 campaign before stepping into office. From identity theft to money laundering, new allegations against Santos have been surfacing for the past year leading to the historic expulsion from his congressional position. 

Democrats and Republicans alike united for the decisive vote backing the eviction. As found in Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, “Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.” The two-thirds majority mandate is not an easy requirement to meet and calls for at least 290 of the 435 members serving in the U.S. House of Representatives to vote in favor of the expulsion. On that Friday, the necessary majority was significantly surpassed with a total of 311.

Santos is now the 6th member of the House to ever be expelled and the first to face such a forthcoming demise without officially being convicted of a single crime, despite all of the allegations against him. Countless citizens have taken to social media all year long, questioning how Santos was elected into such a substantial position in the first place. To others, the political figure became the center of countless satirical jokes poking fun at his deceptive track record on outlets such as Saturday Night Live.

              SNL cast member Bowen Yang portraying George Santos on the "Weekend Update" via Business Insider

Aside from the amusing online discourse, George Santos seemed just as unfazed and expectant of his expulsion as any other individual following this case would have been. In fact, he wasted no time when adorning his coat, saying his goodbyes to fellow colleagues, and leaving the Capitol Building that afternoon before the votes were done being counted. As per protocol, Capitol workers were quick to change the lock on his office door and remove his name plate from the nearby wall.

When asked if he foresaw the expulsion being a success, Santos met reporters with his notorious demeanor.

“As unofficially already no longer a member of Congress, I no longer have to answer a single question from you guys.” 

Following his exit, the former House Representative is seemingly making efficient use of the reputation he built in the public eye while in office. On December 4th, George Santos joined the Cameo platform, a website famous for allowing users to commission celebrities and iconic figures to receive personalized video messages in response. Santos is currently charging $400 a video to those willing to pay, contrary to his starting rate of $75 which quickly increased due to his popularity. 

The sudden switch in business endeavors was surprising to many but still does not distract from the more pressing matter of filling his empty seat in Congress. 

As of December 5th, PBS News Hour reported that Governor Kathy Hochul announced a special election taking place on February 13th next year. During this election, all eyes will be on Republicans who will undoubtedly be trying to hold onto their slim House majority that dwindled even further once Santos was expelled.