U.S. Representative Santos Vows to Fight Expulsion from Congress in Defiant Speech
A defiant U.S. Representative George Santos said he will not go down without a fight on Thursday as the House is expected to vote on his expulsion. Santos, who has admitted to fabricating much of his biography and is facing criminal campaign-finance charges, went on the offensive during a fiery speech on the House floor.
“I will not stand by quietly. The people of Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, they’re going to have to go silence those people and take the hard vote,” Santos said.
The 35-year-old first-term congressman’s tenure in Congress has been rocky since multiple allegations of fraud and misconduct surfaced shortly after his election last November. The latest scandal to surface involves evidence revealing that he used campaign funds to pay for personal expenses including Botox, luxury brands such as Hermes, and on OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content. Further investigations revealed that he had falsely claimed attendance at New York University and employment at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
Santos had survived one expulsion vote earlier this month, but the tide is turning against him as members from both parties are calling for his removal. “This is just another meaningless stunt in his long history of cons, antics, and outright fraud,” said Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman.
Santos has remained defiant in the face of growing pressure to resign, saying he will not run for re-election next year. Nevertheless, he remained bellicose ahead of the vote to expel him, stating, “I wish I could do more, (but) if this is it, this is it.”
The current vote for expulsion is scheduled for Friday. At least 77 Republicans and all 213 Democrats would need to vote for expulsion to meet the two-thirds majority required under the U.S. Constitution. If expelled, Santos would be only the sixth member to be expelled from the House of Representatives, and the first who has not been convicted of a crime or fought for the Confederacy during the 1861-65 U.S. Civil War.
Santos’ legal troubles will only worsen as he is scheduled to stand trial on September 9, 2024. Despite maintaining his innocence, the pressure for him to step down from office or face expulsion is growing by the day. His district’s future also hangs in the balance, with an election to fill his seat expected to be held within three months, according to New York state law.