Swindler must go: House of Representatives throws Santos out

US policy - Swindler must go: House of Representatives throws Santos out

The scandal-ridden US Congressman George Santos is out of the House of Representatives. In a historic vote on Friday, the required majority of the House of Representatives voted to expel the Republican. It is the first time in recent history that a member has been expelled from the House of Representatives who has not previously been convicted of a criminal offense. Only six times ever has a member been expelled from the chamber.

"To hell with this place," the 35-year-old told reporters outside the Capitol after the decision. He had been asked whether he would remain in the chamber as a non-member with special rights. This is possible because he has not yet been convicted by any court. "Why would I want to stay here?" he replied. However, the House of Representatives had set a "dangerous precedent" with its action.

Ethics Committee saw "dignity of office" violated

The vote follows an investigation by the Ethics Committee in the House of Representatives. The committee made serious allegations against Santos in mid-November and presented an investigation report. The report states that the MP stole campaign funds and defrauded his donors, among other things. According to the report, Santos allegedly spent campaign funds on cosmetics and luxury purchases - the committee was presented with invoices for Botox, for example.

Santos also tried to "blame others for much of the misconduct". The MP's lack of honesty is worrying. With his behavior, the politician had "violated the dignity of the office" and "brought the House of Representatives into serious disrepute".

After the report was published, Santos announced that he would not be standing for re-election next year. He immediately rejected the accusations. The report was "a despicable politicized slander", Santos wrote. "Everyone involved in this serious miscarriage of justice should be ashamed of themselves."

Trial against Santos in New York

There are other serious accusations against Santos. In a New York trial, he is accused of fraud and theft, among other things. According to the indictment, he is alleged to have made false statements to the electoral commission FEC, among other things. The prosecution also accuses him of falsifying documents, conspiracy against the USA, fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering and theft of public funds. Santos pleaded not guilty after the indictment was read out. The trial is scheduled to begin in September 2024.

Santos has been a member of the US House of Representatives in a New York district for just over a year and presents himself as a supporter of former US President Donald Trump. His rise to the federal political stage was overshadowed from the outset by allegations of fraud and deception.

Large parts of his CV were invented

Research has shown that Santos invented a large part of the CV he presented to voters in 2022. In it, he claimed to be a successful businessman on Wall Street, an animal rights activist or the son of Brazilian immigrants who fled the Holocaust. The "New York Times" scrutinized the CV and came to the conclusion: university degree, career at major banks, family background - all made up.

Santos admitted that he had "embellished" his CV, but affirmed that he was not a liar or a fraud.

Santos' story has also kept the USA so busy because the details are so ludicrous. He made up all kinds of bizarre details that have been disproved - such as that he was a volleyball star during his time at university, which he never attended. He claims to have lost four employees in the attack on the Pulse nightclub in the US state of Florida, which left 49 dead. He said that his mother had witnessed the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

The vote in the House of Representatives on Friday was the third time that Santos' expulsion was voted on. Twice before, the MPs voted against expulsion. The Ethics Commission's investigation report is now likely to have persuaded some of his supporters not to keep him after all. The vehemence with which he has repeatedly portrayed himself as innocent recently may also have played a role.